Poké Adventures
by moi-moi819
Summary: Follow Gabi (OC) on her adventure through the Sinnoh Region to become the next Sinnoh Champion. Paul/OC
1. Chapter 1

Moi-Moi: Hey party people! What's up!? Guess what I've decided to do!

Ash/Satoshi: Uh… challenge me to a Pokémon battle?

Moi-Moi: -_- No. Besides, I would win. ;) I recently watched the beginning of the Unova League and re-watched the Sinnoh League for the 4th or 5th time. That got me going, so I decided to do a Pokémon fanfic this time! Hoo-ray! *lights a fire cracker, but it sizzles out without a spark* … Never mind! Let's get started, shall we? : )

Ash/Satoshi: *blows party horn once*

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended. _

As I heard my Starly alarm clock ring to life, rousing me from my light sleep, I opened my eyes to the bright sun peering through the open window. My dark brown eyes narrowed and closed before I rolled over and away from the blinding light. Slowly, but surely, I felt sleep start to recapture my mind as my thoughts went fuzzy.

"Gabrielle!" I heard my mother's chiming voice call out. I groaned and hid under my sheets feeling the sleep slip away for good. As soon as she stopped yelling, I felt skinny vines rope around my mid-section. My eyes opened wide to see my mother's Maganium smiling brightly at me as she held me upside down. She put me down on to the wooden floors before pulling her vines away.

"You didn't have to wake me up, Maganium. I would have gotten up eventually," I say and rub her head. I leave my unmade bed behind with a yawn. I could hear Maganium fixing the covers as I went into the bathroom to get ready for today.

Yesterday was my tenth birthday. Which means that I'm now old enough to begin my Pokémon journey. Idly, for the ten thousandth time, I wondered which starter Pokémon I would choose. There are only three choices. It shouldn't be _this _hard! I let out a groan before placing my brush in my yellow backpack. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone standing in my doorway.

"Hey, runt," I say affectionately to my little sister, Victoria. She was watching me with a sad and curious look as I finished packing my bag.

"Are you really leaving?" she asked and stepped into the room.

"I have to. How else will I start my journey?" I ask with a smile and place my bag on my back. It was then that I realized how much we look alike.

Like me, Vicky had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. However, mine stopped a little lower than mid-back and had brown streaks in it. I put my hair up in a high ponytail and nodded once. I was wearing a short sleeved yellow shirt and a pair of white capris. I had white sneakers with yellow laces and a yellow thunderbolt pendant hung from my neck.

I pulled on my white, fingerless gloves before smiling at Vicky again. "Listen, in four years you'll be leaving on your journey. Trust me. You're gonna wanna leave as soon as possible," I say.

"Yeah, I guess… You'll catch lots of Pokémon so that I can play with them, right?" she asks, her mood doing a 180.

"Of course!"

"Then go! You have to go catch Pokémon!" she yells and pushes at my legs and out of my room. I move around her with an annoyed look. I look around my room one last time. My small bed rested against the wall with my window perched over it. The walls were covered with posters of electric type Pokémon. I looked down at the stuffed Pachirisu doll on my bed. "I'm gonna catch me a real Pachirisu first," I promised and shut the door behind me.

"Do you have everything?" my mother, Christiana, asks. I nod my head before turning and showing her the bag on my back. "Alright then."

"Right. Bye, mom! Bye, Vicky!" I yell and grab a bite of her toast. She objects loudly, but I am already out the kitchen door and onto the road. I smile to myself as I leave my home behind and head straight to Prof. Rowan's lab. I was in no rush. I lived in Sandgem town; right near the beach. Not even twenty minutes into my walk and I spotted the professor himself standing in the middle of the road. "Professor Rowan!" I yell and wave.

He looked up to see me jogging over to him. "Hello there, young lady," he says in his deep voice, his facial hair slightly muffling it. I smile at him before pulling out my post card from my bag.

"I came for my Pokémon, Professor."

"Well that's-" he starts, but is cut off by someone bumping into his back. He turned and I looked behind him as well. We both saw a blue-haired girl in a pink outfit that made my eyes hurt. She had a pink bike next to her and looked embarrassed and lost.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she apologizes. I notice the postcard in her hand. She must be a new trainer as well.

"You seem lost," Prof. Rowan says. No kidding.

"Who? Me?"

"You're the only one lost here so yes," he responds. I muffle a snicker. "Judging by that postcard in your hand, you must be coming for your starter Pokémon. Why don't you follow me back to my lab and I'll get you two started."

"Did you say _lab?_" she asks, shocked. Duh.

"I'm _pretty_ sure he said lab," I say with a smirk. For the first time, she looks at me. She pouts angrily before looking away.

"I wasn't asking _you,"_ she says with a turned up nose. I shrug and turn to follow after the professor, seeing that he had left us behind.

"So, what is your name, young lady?" the Pokémon professor asks. Since he's known me my whole life, I was sure he was talking to the other girl. She looked to me confusedly before looking at his back.

"My name's Dawn."

"Well, Dawn, do you have an idea which starter Pokémon you are going to choose?" the professor continued. I looked back at Dawn then. I was mildly interested to hear her answer. I hadn't chosen which Pokémon I wanted yet.

"Not really," she confessed. I was down heartened by this. It would have been nice to hear a choice and opinion. Maybe then, I could decide.

"If it makes you feel better, I haven't chosen one either," I say. I don't know what possessed me to speak, but it caused Dawn to perk up.

"At least I'm not the only one," she says.

"We're here. Let's go inside," Prof. Rowan says. We all step inside the cool lab and my heart rate picks up. This was exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. My first Pokémon is waiting for me in there. No pressure.

"Professor! We're so sorry!" a man started. He quickly babbled an explanation to the Professor that I barely understood. I looked around instead, piecing together the story. The room was in shambles. Books, plants, papers, and trash were scattered around. A window was broken and there was broken glass everywhere.

"Let me go after them," I heard Dawn say.

"Hm?" I heard the Professor mumble. Not wanting to be left out, I spoke up as well.

"Me too. I have to pick a partner from those Pokémon," I say. Dawn and I share a determined look. Prof. Rowan stares at us for some time before agreeing. "You can count on us, Professor," I say. Dawn and I leave the lab and head out back. She immediately calls out to the Pokémon. "Look Dawn!" I exclaim, noticing movement in the trees. We both see Chimchar swinging away from Piplup's bubblebeam. "Chimchar!" I yell going after it. I hear dawn calling to me and then Piplup before her voice fades away. "Chimchar wait!"

The monkey stops before sticking its tongue out at me. My temper starts to flare, but I stand my ground. As if a light bulb just went off above my head, I got an idea. "I guess you're just an immature Pokémon. That's a shame. I'll just have to choose from Piplup and Turtwig for my partner. That Turtwig seemed pretty strong," I say and place a finger to my chin in thought. When Chimchar starts to carry on like I'd hoped, I hide a smirk. The fire type jumps out of the tree and stalks over to me angrily. "What? You're the one carrying on. If you don't like my choice, prove me wrong," I challenge. Chimchar nodded once with determination in its eyes.

Just then, a bush started to rustle next to us. We turned just in time to see an Ariados crawl out. I froze up at the sight, but Chimchar seemed unfazed. Chimchar inhaled before letting out a fire type attack that I recognized as ember. The Ariados was stunned enough for Chimchar to use scratch. Finally, feeling confident, I commanded, "Chimchar, use ember."

I have to admit, Chimchar packs a punch. Once the Ariados began to quickly crawl away, I smiled down at Chimchar. Chimchar gave me a cocky look. "Alright. Maybe you're not _completely _useless," I say. Chimchar eeped in protest. I laughed from behind my hand. "Come on," I say. Chimchar eeped before following after me slowly. I hear some screaming and I look to where it comes from. "Dawn?" I ask. I turn to Chimchar with a serious face. "We have to help her." Chimchar nods before hopping onto my shoulder as I take off into a run.

We push through some bushes to see Dawn and Piplup facing many Ariados. "Ember!" I command without hesitation. Chimchar jumps off my shoulder and fires the attack mid-air. I smile when the attack hits and a dust cloud rises up. It clears slowly to show the Ariados stunned and not moving. "Dawn!"

"It's you," she says. "…What's your name again?"

I sigh loudly and hang my head. "It's Gabrielle." I hear the Ariados begin to recover and turn to them. "Chimchar, ember!"

"Help out Piplup! Bubblebeam!" Dawn yells. The separate moves hit the bugs in a fiery wave. Having had enough, the Ariados all clear away. "We did it!" Dawn cheers and goes to Piplup. The penguin Pokémon stands proudly and my eyes go to Chimchar. It looks at me before smiling. I smile in return as it jumps into my arms. I laugh as Chimchar rubs my face with its furry hands.

* * *  
"You've both had quite a day. Hopefully, you have learned something about Pokémon today," Prof. Rowan says. "Have you both chosen who you would like as your partners?"

"I have," Dawn speaks up. I watch her, worried that she had chosen the same as me. "I choose Piplup." I breathe a sigh of relief. "What about you Gabrielle?"

"Isn't it obvious? I choose Chimchar," I say and look at the monkey. It eeps happily before climbing onto my shoulder. I scratch the tuft of hair at its head happily.

"Those are good choices. Now, here are your Pokèdex and Pokeballs," the professor says.

"Thanks, Professor," I say.

"Yeah, thanks!" Dawn agrees.

After acquiring my things, I left the lab with Chimchar still on my shoulder. Dan followed me out before recalling Piplup into its pokeball. I looked to Chimchar. It looked back at me with question in its eyes. "Nah. I like having you on my shoulder better," I say, answering the unasked question. "Well, see you later Dawn," I say and turn to her.

"Huh? You're leaving?" she asks. I nod with a small smile. "Uh, don't you want to travel together or something?"

I blink twice at her. I shrug casually. "Why not? It's obvious that you need me around to protect you," I say with a large grin.

"I do not! You're no better off than I am!" she objects. I stretch my arms into the air and begin to walk off with a laugh.

"You gonna stand there and yap or are you coming?" I call out behind me. Chimchar laughs from my shoulder as Dawn follows after us. Now this wasn't so hard. I think this journey will be a piece of cake…

* * *  
Moi-Moi: What do you think? Review please!

Next Chapter: Enter Pikachu and Team Rocket!

Edited: 11/27/12


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Moi-Moi: Hey guys-who-decided-to-return-to-the-second-chapter! Thanks for clicking the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. And, if you also clicked the "Review" button as well, kudos to you! : )

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended. _

As I chewed away happily on my Pecha berry, I offered another to Chimchar. She accepted it happily before eating it on two bites. I was still with dawn on my journey. We travelled through the forest along the path silently, giving me an awkward feeling. I should at least _try _to make conversation with her.

"So, where are you from, Dawn?" I ask and look behind me. She seems surprised to hear me speak.

"I'm from Twinleaf Town. What about you?"

"Sandgem Town. I live there with my mom and little sister," I say.

"Oh. I live my mom," she goes on and moves to walk beside me. "So, where are we headed exactly?"

"Oreburgh City of course. It's the nearest city that has a Gym," I explain as if it were common knowledge. Chimchar jumps off my shoulder and into the trees then. She probably wanted to get some more berries.

"Gym?" Dawn questions.

"Yeah. You _do _know what a Pokémon Gym is. Don't you?" I ask her with a sly smile. She frowns angrily and folds her arms indignantly.

"Of course I do! I just didn't know that you were going to challenge the Gyms," she explains.

"What else would I do?" I ask with a shrug.

"Well, you could enter contests as a coordinator," she suggests with a smile. I tilt my head to the side and raise an eyebrow at her. "That's what I'm going to do. My dream is to become a Top Coordinator."

"That's nice. I want to challenge Cynthia and become the new Champion," I say. "But, I guess I can try out a contest or two, just to beat _you _though." I smile at Dawn, but she only pushes her bike onward. "It's too bad you can't ride your bike."

"Huh? That's okay. I don't mind walking. You'd be too slow to catch up if I were to ride my bike anyways," she smiles with a teasing look.

I roll my eyes before looking ahead. We had finally reached to the edge of the forest. Dawn suddenly ran ahead and releases her Piplup from its Pokéball. I watch as they sit and begin to watch the clouds. I sit down as well before feeling a weight on my shoulders.

"Hey, there. Thanks," I say to Chimchar as she gives me another Pecha berry before giving Dawn and Piplup one each. Chimchar and I sit quietly and eat the juicy, sweet fruits happily.

"You know what? I'm going to catch my first Pokémon," Dawn says suddenly. I raise an eyebrow in question as she looks at Piplup. I stop eating momentarily. I have to see this. Just then, a Buneary pops out of some nearby bushes. Dawn scrambles to check it on her Pokèdex while Chimchar and I watch. "Alright. You have to weaken a Pokémon before you can capture it. Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

I watch as she begins to battle the brown, rabbit Pokémon with interest. This would be her first capture. And, Buneary _was _pretty cute. I watch how she battles, making mental notes for future battles. Once Buneary delivers a Dizzy Punch that knocks out Piplup, I smile sadly at her. Chimchar, however, laughed loudly.

"Don't laugh. They're just starting out," I say to Chimchar. She eventually stops and I get onto my feet. "Dawn, why don't we keep moving?" I suggest.

"Alright," she agrees. She takes Piplup into her arms and stands as well.

We continue along the path with dawn riding slowly on her bike while mapping out her plan to become a coordinator. Piplup sat in the basket on the front, quiet. Chimchar and I walked slowly next her without interrupting her planning. She wanted to enter the Jubilife contest in Jubilife City. Jubilife City was on the way to Oreburgh so I guess it's okay.

"Look! Who's that Pokémon?" Dawn asks. I look up to see a Pokémon her Pokèdex identifies as Burmy hanging from a tree branch. I stand back to watch her battle the Pokémon quietly. Once again, she fails to catch it. She sinks down to the ground depressed and allows Piplup to comfort her. I feel kinda bad for her.

"Dawn, you're just starting out. It's not going to be easy right off the bat. But, once you get the hang of it, you'll be so good this will be like baby stuff," I say with an encouraging smile and a casual shrug.

"Thanks Gabrielle," she says.

"Call me Gabi," I say.

Just then, we hear some rustling in some nearby bushes. Slowly, an exhausted looking Pikachu stumbled out of the bushes before collapsing. Dawn checks her Pokèdex whiles Piplup fires a Bubblebeam. Piplup and the Pikachu begin to have an impromptu battle then. Piplup loses once again and the Pikachu ends up destroying Dawn's nearby bike by accident. I hold back my snickers with one hand over my mouth while muffling Chimchar's with my other hand. Dawn furiously throws a Pokéball at the Pikachu only for it to be rejected and sent back to her.

"You must already have a trainer," Dawn realizes. Pikachu runs away, but some Pokémon cut it off and then a _talking _Meowth steps out. Have I lost it?

When Pikachu shocks the man and woman who also join them, I knew that they were enemies. "Chimchar, use Ember to help Pikachu!" I command.

"Piplup, you help too. Bubblebeam!" Dawn yells. The lavender-haired man and violet-haired woman begin to recite some weird verse that I don't have the time or patience for.

"Ember!" I yell, cutting them off. Chimchar releases its fire while Piplup releases its bubbles and Pikachu uses a Thunderbolt. The combined attacks cause a small explosion that makes the group blast away from us. I could hear them complaining about not finishing their "motto" as they flew away. I watched them leave before looking down at Pikachu. "Dawn! We've got to get Pikachu top the Pokémon Center," I say. She stops cheering with Piplup and nods at me. I look down to the unconscious Pokémon in my arms with a nod.

I let dawn explain to Nurse Joy what happened to the injured Pikachu while I looked around the Jubilife Pokémon Center. I saw the phones lined up along the wall. I should call home.

"Mom?" I ask and stare at my mother's tan face. She smiles warmly at me in return.

"Hey, sweetie. I didn't expect you to call so quickly," she says.

"I just got to Jubilife City so I thought I should call," I say. "Mom, this is Chimchar, my new partner."

"So, you chose a fire type? What a good choice for a partner," Mom said with a smile and wave to Chimchar. Chimchar waved back with a smile of her own.

"Mom, something terrible happened," I start. My mom's face becomes serious as she listens to my story. Afterward, she gave me a pensive look.

"Have you called Professor Rowan? Maybe he can help."

"Alright. I'll go do that," I say.

"Go now before you forget. I'm sure someone out there is missing their Pikachu," my mom says. I sigh and nod my head.

"Yes, Mom," I say. She hangs up then and I get ready to place a call to the Prof.'s lab.

"Nurse Joy said Pikachu will be fine," I hear dawn say from behind me. I turn in the chair to face her.

"That's great. I just called my mom. She said we should call Professor Rowan. Maybe he could help," I say.

"Great. I'll do it right now," Dawn says and sits at the phone next to me. Since she was already doing it, I got up from my seat and went over to the region map that was posted on the wall. Chimchar looked at the map with me. Although, I wasn't sure what exactly she was looking at.

"I'm going to catch at least another Pokémon before we get to Oreburgh City. I wanna get there as soon as possible to get my badge. We need to start training. We're gonna need to leave Jubilife as soon as possible," I say. Chimchar eeps from my shoulder in what I guessed was agreement.

"Hey, Professor Rowan said that he'll keep an eye for Pikachu's trainer," Dawn informs me.

"That's great. I hate to say it, but we'll need to stay here in Jubilife until we find Pikachu's trainer," I say.

"The Jubilife Contest is in a few days. I'm sure we'll find the trainer before then," Dawn reassures me. I look back at the map then.

"I've got some catching to do. I need to catch a Pokémon before I get to Oreburgh so I can begin training. I'll be back later," I say.

"Alright. I'll stay here. Nurse Joy is looking at Piplup too," she says. I nod before leaving the Pokémon Center. I step out into the sun and head back towards the forest.

"What type of Pokémon should I catch?" I ask. The Oreburgh Gym is a rock type gym. A water or grass type would be a good match. But, I don't have a rod. Grass it is then.

We must have walked around the forest for hours before deciding to take a break. I let out a deep breath and listened to the forest, completely at peace. I was sitting under a tree for shade with my hands resting under my head. Just then, I felt a tug ant my arm. I looked over at Chimchar in question. She was pointing frantically to a bush. "What is it?" I ask. I move close to inspect the bush, only to see a small bird Pokémon in the clearing behind the bush. I checked it on my Pokèdex.

_Starly, the Starling Pokémon. It usually live and travels in large flocks. Though small, they flap their wings with great power._

I smiled at Chimchar. "Ember!" I yelled suddenly. Chimchar sprung out of the bushes while firing an Ember attack at the small bird. It was so startled that it remained in place and was hit dead on. "Scratch!" I commanded. Chimchar attacked the small bird, knocking it back. It got up before flying up at heading towards Chimchar. That's Quick Attack. "Dodge and use Ember!"

Being in my first real battle left a trill of happiness in me. This was my first real battle. And I was winning! Would my first gym battle feel this great? What about my first battle against another trainer?

"Now, Chimchar finish this up with Ember!" I yell. Chimchar fires its attack before looking at me. "I'm way ahead of you." I enlarged my Pokéball before throwing it. I watched the unmoving Starly get taken into the ball before the ball fell to the ground. The ball flashed and wiggled for some time before it stopped moving and an audible click could be heard. I smile broke out on my face and I cheered. "I caught it! Thank you, Chimchar! I couldn't have done it without you," I say and look down at the Pokéball. A mental image of my new Pokémon flashed in my mind. "You look like a Pepper. I guess that's what I'll call you," I say and smile at the red and white ball.

I walked back into the Pokémon Center and looked around for Dawn. Not immediately seeing her, I went up to the front desk. "Can you heal my Pokémon?" I ask.

"Of course. I'll take good care of it," Nurse Joy says and takes my Pokéball that held my newly caught Starly. She walks away with the Pokéball and I watch her go before hearing someone call my name. I turned to see Dawn walking towards me.

"I was just about to come look for you," she says.

"Oh. I just got here. I just gave Nurse Joy my Pokémon," I explain.

"Huh? But, Chimchar's right there," she says and points to her.

"I know. I caught a Pokémon. It's a Starly," I go on with a smile. Dawn smiles as well and congratulates me on my first catch.

"I've got good news too. Professor Rowan said Pikachu's trainer is on his way here right now. He must really miss his Pokémon," Dawn says.

"I'd miss my Pokémon too if we were separated. Hey, Dawn? Would you like to have a battle with me?" I ask. Something about catching my first Pokémon left me wanting more of the experience.

"Um, sure. Why not? Piplup's feeling much better now," Dawn says with a smile. I smile back and we head out to the battle field behind the Pokémon Center.

Once outside, we faced each other with ready looks. Chimchar left the box we were sharing to stand on my side of the field. Dawn then released Piplup from its Pokéball. "Don't think that since you have the type advantage that you'll win," I warn.

"We'll just see about that," she says. "Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

"Dodge it, Chimchar! Now use Scratch!" I yell. Chimchar rolled to the side, missing the bubbles before moving towards Piplup quickly. I watched as Chimchar went all out against Piplup's face and blue body.

"Piplup!" Dawn called out.

"Ember!" I called out.

"Dodge it, Piplup. Now use Bubblebeam!"

"Ember!" I yell. The two moves collided mid-way before destroying each other and releasing steam. Getting an idea, I smirked. "Into the steam, Chimchar!" Just as I had planned, Chimchar was completely hidden. It wouldn't stay that way for long though. "Now, use Scratch!"

Chimchar jumped out of the steam and descended on Piplup. After Chimchar backed away, I looked to see Piplup laying the ground, unmoving. I smiled at Chimchar before going over to it. I embraced the small chimp before rubbing her head. "We won. Thank you so much Chimchar," I say to her.

Moi-Moi: There's chapter two! Review please!

Next Chapter: Enter Ash and Brock!

Edited: 11/28/12


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Moi-Moi: The third chapter!? You guys are on a roll! You deserve a cyber cookie for your support! : )

Paul: You don't know when to stop talking. Do you? Have you ever thought that they just want to read the chapter…?

Moi-Moi: You're so lucky you're my favorite out of all of Ash's rivals… -_-

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended. _

After our battle, Dawn and I returned to the Pokémon Center to await the arrival of Pikachu's trainer. By the time we returned, Nurse Joy called us to the front desk with her Chansey trailing behind her. On the cart Chansey was pushing, Pikachu sat with a well-rested and fully healed look. Next to Pikachu, a red and white Pokéball sat as well. "Here are your Pokémon. Have a nice day," Nurse Joy says with a smile. I took my Pokeball with a smile and watched Pikachu hop off the counter.

"Hey, Gabi. I was thinking," Dawn starts. "If Pikachu's trainer is headed this way, maybe we should retrace our steps. We could meet up with him along the way."

I thought about that. I looked down to Pikachu as it stared back up at me. If it was my Pokémon, I would want whoever it was to meet me halfway. I looked back at Dawn with a nod. "You're right. Let's bring Pikachu to its trainer," I agree with a smile. Pikachu cheers happily before scurrying to the door. Dawn calls after it before breaking out into a run after it. With a laugh, I attach my Pokeball to my belt and follow after Dawn.

We began walking along the path, retracing our steps, with Pikachu leading the way. Every now and then, I could see his ears twitch as he looked around. He was probably looking out for his trainer. I wonder what he looked like. How old was he? Where was he from? How many Pokémon did he have?

Just then, a blur reached down from above before grabbing onto Pikachu. With a shocked and frightened gasp, I looked up to where the blur came from. Great. Not _them _again. "You guys again? Why can't you leave us alone!? _Obviously_, Pikachu doesn't like you. Or was all the electricity it shocked you with too subtle for you to get it?" I asked, sarcastically.

"Look twerp. We've been chasing after Pikachu from the very beginning!" the violet-haired woman yelled with a large mouth.

"Yeah! We've been doing this so long, we're professionals!" the Meowth yells with a heavy accent.

"If you're "professionals", shouldn't you have already caught Pikachu by now? You guys must not be as great as you think," I say. That got them quiet. However, the violet-haired woman started to yell once again, but was cut off by Pikachu.

Just then, Pikachu started charging up an attack before its whole body is covered in electricity. It looked like a Volt Tackle. It breaks out of the arm before falling to the ground and destroying the group's Meowth-shaped, hot air balloon. I was all for picking up Pikachu and running, but a loud boom followed by the ground quaking put a stop to that idea. I tried to gain my footing before noticing a shadow loom over me. With a gasp, I looked up to see a large machine with a capital "R" on the front. It was a monstrosity! All of this just to catch _one _Pikachu?

Once again, Pikachu was grabbed by one of the many arms on the machine. I glared at the three. They were starting to really tick me off. "Chimchar, use Ember on the arm holding Pikachu," I command. Chimchar fires the attack, but it only puts a small dent.

"Let us try. Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn calls out and releases her Pokémon. The small penguin Pokémon attacks the machine, but it doesn't do much either.

"As if those pathetic pipsqueaks could do anything to _our _newest Team Rocket model!" the violet-haired woman says with a loud, obnoxious laugh. Two more arms then shoot downward and towards Chimchar and Piplup. My eyes opened wide and a cry broke out of my throat. Before I could think, I broke out on a run. I covered Chimchar's body with my own before feeling something hard clamp over my waist. "Hey! Get out of there!"

I felt the ground disappear from under me before I heard someone yell some attacks and felt a large gust of wind blow. I felt the vibrations of the whole machine shaking before feeling as if I was free-falling. What was going on!?

I fell to the ground with a thud and rubbed my sore rear. Chimchar came to my side before comforting me with concern in her eyes. I gave her a smile, just glad that she was safe.

"Team Rocket! Give me back my Pikachu!"

I looked over to see a tanned boy glaring up at the trio. He couldn't have been much older than me. I looked up to see Pikachu looked directly at him and calling out. That must be his trainer. "We have to help him get his Pokémon back," I say and release Pepper. "Pepper, use Quick Attack. Chimchar, use Ember," I command. The two follow my commands, causing the arm holding Pikachu to be damaged slightly. Chimchar fires one more Ember and the arm snaps off. "Pepper, catch Pikachu!"

The boy looks to me with an unsure look. I smile at him in return. I turn to the trio-Team Rocket was it? - with irritation rolling off me in waves. "I've had more than enough of you three. You've done nothing, but harass Pikachu. Chimchar, use Ember! Pepper, use Whirlwind!" I command.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

The moves hit the large machine before a loud rumbling could be heard. "Get down!" another boy yells. I follow his commands and cover my head. I cover my ears once the loud explosion goes off. Once it stops, I could hear the sound of debris falling before peeking up. They were gone and only the remains of their machine was left. I let out a breath of relief.

I rub Chimchar's head before offering my arm for Pepper to perch on. "What a day. I could use a good rest after this," I say. I look over at the others then before walking towards them. "So, you must be Pikachu's trainer."

"Yeah. My name's Ash."

"I'm Gabi. This is Chimchar and Pepper," I reply.

"I'm Dawn and this is my partner Piplup."

"I'm Brock. It's nice to meet you."

Pikachu's trainer was about my height with unruly hair that he kept under a cap. He wore a blue, sleeveless jacket, black undershirt, jeans, sneakers, and fingerless gloves. His friend had spiky, brown hair and a tanned complexion as well. He wore an orange and black vest over a forest green shit with tan jeans and sneakers.

"Thanks for helping me find my Pikachu," Ash says.

"No problem. You would do the same for me," I respond. Just then, an Aipom climbed up Ash's arms before leaping off him with his hat on its tail. Aipom put it on its head before running off with the hat.

"Aipom, gimme back my hat!" Ash yelled before chasing after the Pokémon. Brock laughed at the ordeal and even Dawn giggled along. I smiled at the sight, but couldn't help but wonder when Ash last brushed his hair.

After Ash got back his hat, we went back to Prof. Rowan's lab. I learned that Ash and Brock were actually close friends who had travelled together before. Like I had guessed, Ash was ten as well. He had been to so many different places and seen so many Pokémon. I want to do that. I want to travel the world and meet new Pokémon…after I'm Champion of course.

In the living room, I stroked a brush through Chimchar's fur with a smile as she sat still on my lap. My mom had sent me a package as well. Although, it was more for Chimchar than me. In it was a beautiful, sky blue flame-retardant barrette. She also sent a brush for my Pokémon's fur. I had quickly placed the barrette into Chimchar's fur. It clicked onto the tuft of fur at the top of her head on the side. Leave it to a Top Coordinator to send beauty supplies.

Just then, Ash appeared in his new clothes that his mother had sent him. It was nice to know that his mom was still taking care of him even though he was so far from home.

"Hey Ash? Do you want to travel together?" Dawn asks suddenly. My hand stills and I turn to her. Chimchar turns around to face me in question. I look at her and bite my lip. Does he?

Ash seems to know something about Pokémon. And Brock seems to know a lot about Pokémon care. If they were to travel with us, I could learn so much. Not only would I make new friends, but it would help me become the best trainer I can be. I would love to travel with them. Chimchar takes my hand with the brush and begins to move it along her back. I shake my head and smile at her. "Alright. Alright. I get it," I say and continue to brush her fur.

Eventually, we all leave the lab together. Ash, Brock, Dawn and I were now official travelling partners. As soon as I step out of the lab, I see a boy with purple hair leaning against a tree. He looks at me and we lock eyes. He had a sort of cold stare that left me feeling suspicion. He looked away then, not bothering to say anything. I shrugged it off casually even though I felt curiosity bubble up in me. "Hey look. It's him," Ash says. I look over to the boy. Ash knows him?

"You've got three Pokémon now, right? Let's have that battle," he says. "The name's Paul." Paul? What a plain name. It didn't suit him. He looked anything, _but _plain. Ash accepted his challenge and the professor offered his back garden up for the battle. This should be interesting.

Brock acted as the referee while Dawn, the professor, and I acted as spectators. I sat on the grass with Chimchar on my lap and watched on. It was to be a three-on-three battle with no substitutions. The first person to reach two wins was the winner. Ash and Paul started out with their Starlys. I released Pepper and made sure to tell him to pay close attention to this battle.

After some good battling, Ash's Starly was the first to go down. I let out a disappointed sigh before sitting up. He's still got a chance. Next, Ash sent out Aipom while Paul sends out his Chimchar. "He's got a Chimchar too," I say. I must have caught the attention of his Chimchar because it looked our way and continued to stare for a while. It didn't even notice that Aipom had sent a Swift attack its way. During the match, my Chimchar began to cheer on Paul's. "Traitor," I said to her dryly. Once again, Paul's Chimchar lost focus on the battle. However, this time, Aipom was able to hit it with a Focus Punch and knock it out. Did Paul's Chimchar always lose focus like that?

Finally, Pikachu and Elekid are sent out to battle. I sat up to pay good attention to this battle. Ever since I was a little kid, I have always favored Electric types. I love all Pokémon, but I can't help but love Electric types a bit more.

Ash and Paul's battle was amazing. At the end, I had learned so much from watching it. I could only hope that Chimchar and Pepper had learned something as well.

Moi-Moi: Review please!

Next Chapter: Enter Nando!

Edited: 11/29/12


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended._

Moi-Moi: Thanks for the reviews guys! I was in a good mood-no _amazing _mood- and had free time so I decided to type this chapter up for you guys. I want to thank Applejax XD and I.C.2014 for their reviews. They made my day. Also, something new I want to put in the chapters for added fun… Pokémon Riddles!

_Brother and sister,_

_Hand in hand,_

_We're red and blue,_

_We roam the land._

_Who are we?_

Leave your guess in a review. ^.^

"So, you feed Bonsly out of a bottle because it's a baby?" I ask Brock the next day after breakfast. The Pokémon were all playing while Dawn worked on her hair inside her tent. Ash relaxed with his hat pulled over his eyes. Sometimes, I swore I heard snoring from him.

"That and Bonsly can't eat solid Pokémon food just yet," Brock clarifies.

"Oh. That makes sense," I say. Bonsly _is _a baby Pokémon.

"There! All done!" Dawn declares and leaves her tent. I look over to her to see her hair and clothing put together and in order. She looked exactly as she did yesterday. It took her _that _long to do the same thing over?

"What'd you do?" Ash asks with a raised eyebrow and curious look.

"I had to get ready for the day. Doesn't my hair look great?" Dawn asks and flips her hair. I know Dawn is the definition of a "girly girl", but that didn't stop me from shaking my head at her with a smile. The Pokémon stopped running around momentarily to see what was going on with us.

"Why don't you just wear a hat?" Ash asks and tips his cap with a smile. "Like me. It'll save time."

"The "just-woke-up" look may work for you Ash, but I care about how I look," Dawn declares. Ash looks to her with a puzzled look before shrugging.

"Gabi took less than half the time you took and she looks just fine," Ash says. I hold back my laughter at that. I didn't know whether to feel embarrassed at Ash's probably unintentional compliment, sympathetic to Dawn unintentional insult, or just laugh at the two of them altogether. Dawn gave Ash an annoyed look while gripping her brush. I'm getting the feeling that Ash will never get Dawn…or girls in general.

"Whatever, Ash. It doesn't matter because today's the day that I catch my first Pokémon," Dawn finishes with a grin. I can tell Ash was going to question what he had said wrong, but as soon as Dawn mentioned Pokémon, the thought was out the window. "I'm going to need to catch a Pokémon so I can get ready for the Jubilife Contest."

"Well good luck Dawn," I say with a smile.

"Yeah. I know you can do it," Ash said with a determined look and clenched fist. I could see a fire in his eyes. He got that way whenever he spoke about Pokémon. There's one thing no one can deny: Ash is passionate about Pokémon.

Just then, out of some nearby bushes, a Buneary showed itself. Seeing her chance, Dawn urgently called to Piplup. The penguin stopped what he was doing and hurried over to his trainer. Standing in front of her, Piplup faced the Buneary as it hopped out of the bush. I stood along with Ash to watch Dawn's battle. Chimchar came over to me to watch from my shoulder. Dawn seemed to be doing well…until she got out her Pokéball.

"You have to make your ball bigger first," Ash calls out to her. She scrambles to enlarge the ball before throwing it. I watched as it somehow slipped and ended up colliding with Ash's forehead and knock him to the ground. I give him a confused look. Dawn must have a pretty strong arm… "Watch where you throw that thing!"

"It was an accident! If you weren't yelling at me, my hand wouldn't have slipped!" Dawn yells back. I can already see that this is heading downhill fast. Piplup then alerts us to the escaping Pokémon. Dawn cries out in panic before picking up her Pokéball and chasing after the Pokémon. "Wait! Come back!"

"Dawn! Wait!" I yelled after her. I run after her then, hearing more footsteps follow after me. Ash and Brock were calling to her as well. I could barely see Buneary, it was so far away. Chimchar eeped softly from my shoulder. "Let's be patient. I'm sure she'll corner it and catch it."

We must have walked through the forest forever. I had quickly realized the Buneary was _long _gone. I still followed Dawn, however, as she claimed that this was the way Buneary had disappeared to. Chimchar gave me a dry eep from my shoulder. "I know. I _know. _But, you're not exactly doing all the walking here," I say to her and she smiles at me before rubbing her cheek against mine.

"This is just _great_. I could have a Buneary by now if it weren't for someone's big mouth," Dawn says with her fists on her hips. She looked away from Ash as he walked next to her.

"I could catch a Buneary despite _your _big mouth," Ash declares exhibiting the same attitude. Brock and I watch on as the two went from refusing to look at each other to right in the other's face. I frowned at the sight. What kind of friendship was this?

"Are you calling me _stupid!?"_

"You tell jokes as bad as you catch Pokémon!"

"You're _both_ getting on my nerves!" Brock yells, startling all of us.

Just then, I felt the sun get warmer as well as brighter. Some sort of glitter was falling slowly all around us. I don't know why, but it left me feeling refreshed and calm. Even the headache brought on by Dawn and Ash had dissipated.

"It's called Sunny Day. It's a fire-type move that fire-types use to power up their moves temporarily," Brock informs. I smile before letting some of the "glitter" fall on my hand.

"It's so cute!" Dawn calls out. I look down to see a pokemon walk towards us. It wasn't _that_ cute…

"It's a Budew," Brock says. In front of us, there was a small, green Pokémon with a sort of bud at the top of its head. It walked on two small nubs for feet. "This must be where that Sunny Day came from."

Behind it, a man with a sort of stringed instrument came out from behind a tree. He wore a forest green outfit, complete with hat and coat. He had long, black hair that looked extremely well kept. He spoke with a thick accent and in odd riddles that threw me for a loop. I raised an eyebrow at him then. Was he a nut? We learned that his name was Nando and that he travelled with his Budew.

"Nando, will you have a battle with me?" Dawn asks. I give her a curious look. What's she up to? "This will give me a chance to show you guys how strong I've gotten," she said, mainly to Ash.

We all watched Dawn battle at a disadvantage. Nando's Budew was incredibly strong. Seeing it battle made me want to get a crack at it. Chimchar nudged me with a fiery gaze. I could instantly tell her feelings were mutual.

His Budew seemed to be strong enough for gym battles, yet perfectly poised for those contests I've seen on TV. That made me think. Maybe contests can give your Pokémon some sort of special training? Could I use that training to improve my battling style? It seemed as if Budew commanded the whole field and all my attention. I stroked Chimchar's fur as she sat on my lap. Would she like contests?

At the end of Dawn's battle, I went over to Nando. I gave him a smile and said, "Nando, will you have a battle with me now?"

"I do not see why not? Tell me. Are you planning to enter the Grand Festival as well?" Nando questions with a patient face. I bit my lower lip. I wasn't sure.

"Not really. Just come at me with everything you've got," I say with a smile. Nando smiled as well with a nod. Chimchar looked down at Budew with an eep while Budew smiled in return.

"You may have the first move," Nando says. He gave me a chance to take control of the match early. I'm not going to waste it. His Budew shouldn't be underestimated.

"Thanks. Chimchar, use Scratch," I say. Chimchar began to move in for an attack, but as she got close, Nando commanded Budew to dodge as I thought he would. "Ember!"

Chimchar stopped mid-charge to turn and fire her attack. Budew seemed caught off guard as the attack hit it, causing it to fall to the field. It must not have expected such a quick recovery. "Now, use Scratch!"

"Bullet Seed. Please," Nando says. If Chimchar were slightly faster, Scratch would have hit before the grass-type could recover. Chimchar was pushed back, but quickly shook herself out. "Solar beam, if you please."

Solar Beam would be quick. "Jump and dodge it and use Ember at full power, Chimchar," I say. The Solar Beam launches and Chimchar jumps high, momentarily casting a shadow over Budew. She fired Ember from mid-air before landing with an eep. The smoke cleared to show Budew was unable to battle. I smiled and opened my arms for Chimchar. She quickly made her way onto my head and eeped happily.

"That was quite a battle, Gabrielle. I look forward to seeing you all again. As for now, I bid you farewell," Nando says with a bow. We all bid Nando farewell as I smile at the sun. I would have lost if it weren't for Budew's Sunny Day…

Dawn was upset about her loss to Nando and failure to catch a Pokémon. I placed a hand on her shoulder with a smile while Ash offered some comforting words.

"Hey look. It looks like there's a Pokémon Center up ahead," Brock says. His words sounded even more comforting to Dawn.

"A Pokémon Center? Alright! A _real _bed with _real _food! I can rejoin civilization again!" Dawn cheers. I laugh at her behavior before letting Brock lead the way. I happened to like Brock's cooking.

Once we got to the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy greeted us at the door. Dawn claimed to recognize her from Sandgem Town. Brock immediately proves her and my guess wrong by showing us a picture of a group of Nurse Joys. I was shocked to see so many of them. Family reunions must be a mess.

Brock then gets on his knees and begins to hold the nurse's hand. "Wait a minute, Brock was acting the same way around Officer Jenny. What's up with that?" Dawn asks.

"There's a question…with no answer," Ash shrugs. I shook my head.

"He isn't going to do this _every time_ we go to a Pokémon Center. Right?" I ask.

"I wish I could say so," Ash says with a sigh. Dawn suggests to me that we call home. I nod to her and follow her over to the phones. I was able to contact home first, my mom picking up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom," I say with a smile.

"Hi, Dear! Hello, Chimchar," she says with a smile. "Well, who's this? Have you made new friends?"

"You never miss a beat, mom. This is Dawn, Brock, Ash, and his Pikachu," I say and move to the side so she can see them. They all wave hello and she waves in return. "Dawn wants to be a Top Coordinator and Ash wants to challenge the Sinnoh League. Brock wants to become a professional Pokémon breeder."

"A Pokémon Coordinator, huh? I must have done something right with you then. Maybe you might follow in my footsteps and become a Coordinator after all," mom says. I shake my head with a nervous laugh. I don't know about all that…

"You're a Coordinator?" Dawn asks.

"Yes. I am a Top Coordinator. I've travelled all over with my Maganium. But that was a long time ago. Gabrielle, before I forget, have you already registered for the Sinnoh League?" mom asks. My eyes widen as I gasp. She gives me a dry look, already interpreting my response. She shakes her head. "Chimchar, I leave her in your hands. Goodbye everyone. It was nice meeting you all."

"Bye, mom," I say and hang up. I get up and head over to the counter then. Ash follows after me as well. "I'd like to register for the Sinnoh league."

"Me too," Ash says while scratching behind his neck.

"I'm new at this. It's only natural that I'd forget. But, you've done this before. _You_ have no excuse," I say and playfully bump Ash's side.

"Everyone can forget sometime. Right?" Ash says and smiles goofily. I shake my head and hand over my Pokèdex.

Nando showed up just then and looked surprised to see us. Apparently, he had left his Budew in Nurse Joy's care. He reclaimed his Pokémon before leaving the Pokémon Center once again after a short meet up. He spends a lot of time in the forest alone. Didn't he like staying in the Pokémon Center? What was he pondering?

My question didn't stay long unanswered. "Nando is trying to decide whether to focus on winning badges or Contests," Nurse Joy says. This prompts Ash and Dawn to argue about what Nando should choose, leading to them running off after him. I sigh and hang my head. Here we go again.

Because of Nando's lack of decisiveness and Ash and Dawn's eagerness to argue, we ended up in the middle of the forest at night. I was really starting to get annoyed with Ash and Dawn. How could two people argue _this _much?

"What? We're not going back to the Pokémon Center?" Dawn asked, surprised. I gave her an incredulous look.

"You _always _do this. You rush off without once thinking of the consequences," Brock said, taking the words right out of my mouth.

Just then, a man and woman appeared with smiles. A building I had never noticed before stood behind them. They claimed it was an inn and would happily offer us a room for the night. I gave them a suspicious look, my natural paranoia rising. "Free? There's gotta be a catch," I say and fold my arms.

"It's a free room in an inn. Don't be so ungrateful," Dawn says with a smile. I give her a dry look.

Just then, the wind blows and the building, which was really a large, propped board, falls over. The man and woman are revealed to be that Team Rocket group in disguise. I give Dawn a look. She only stares back. They then recite their "motto" which I had never heard before. Is _this _what they made such a fuss about?

The man, James, brought out a Carnavine then. Noting the new Pokémon, Ash checks his Pokèdex. Dawn brings out Piplup and fires Bubblebeam, but Carnavine literally eats it and charges forward with Bite. Just then, a Budew intercepts, pushing Carnavine back and fires Bullet Seed, sending Team Rocket flying. That was extremely convenient.

Nando shows up as Ash and Dawn try to persuade him to focus specifically on either Contests or Gym battles. I sigh again and roll my eyes, contemplating ordering Chimchar to use Ember on them. Ash and Dawn continue to argue as Nando stops them, "Keep that up and we won't hear the forest singing."

I give him a peculiar look as I glance around. Just then, I hear the sounds of various Pokémon calling out into the night. I didn't know there were so many nocturnal Pokémon. Then, Dawn and Ash went about apologizing to each other, causing Brock and I to smile. It was about time.

The next day, Ash asked Nando to battle. He chose to use Pikachu against Budew. I wondered if Nando had any other Pokémon or if Budew was his only partner. Pikachu starts with a Quick Attack on Budew to get in close. Budew fires off a Bullet Seed in response. A good ways into the battle, Pikachu gets up and uses Thunderbolt, shocking Budew. Just then, Budew gets up and glows brightly. My jaw drops.

"Budew's evolving," Brock says. Evolving? I take out my Pokèdex to scan the new Pokémon.

_Roselia, the thorn Pokémon. The beautiful flowers on its arms have toxic thorns. Its scent deeply relaxes people._

Roselia uses Sunny Day to amplify the rays and proceeds to complete the combo with a Solar Beam. Pikachu darts forward as the beam launches. I could see that Pikachu was strong, fast, and well-raised. I should battle with Ash more often. It would definitely improve my Pokémon's strength. No experience is bad experience.

At the end of the battle, Nando picks up his fainted Roselia and recalls it. He turns to Ash, Dawn, and I then with a resolved look. He announces his decision to do both Contests and Gym battles. My jaw drops. You can do both? I looked at Chimchar as she stood next to me. She gave me a curious look. "I'm happy we were able to help you, Nando," I say with a smile. Maybe these Contests are worth a try.

Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I just want to let you know that all my Pokémon are based off the ones I caught in my Pearl game. I'm sorry it took so long to get this out. Laziness should be a crime. But, then I would be serving two life sentences in prison. ^.^'

Edited: 12/12/12 (My mommy's birthday!)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended._

Moi-Moi: Here's chapter five! Packed with tons o' Paul!

~:~

I can't believe this.

The others had been awoken rather rudely to the sight and sound of Team Rocket's latest nuisance. With a large boom and a few seconds of earth quaking, I had looked around to try and discern what was happening. Early in the morning, I had snuck away for some training with Chimchar and Pepper. I heard Pepper's cry from high up in the sky. Once I had spotted a Meowth-shaped balloon, I groaned loudly and ran back to camp.

I got back just as Team Rocket had finished their motto and were glaring and smirking down at us. "Oh look. It's the newest twerp. She missed our motto," Jessie yelled.

"Sorry twerp. You get one performance a day," the Meowth yelled.

"Performance," I scoffed. "More like nightmare."

"_Excuse me! _You are really starting to get on my nerves kid!" Jessie yelled.

"Let's get outta here!" Meowth yells. They use one of their clamps again that grabs Pikachu right off Ash's shoulder. Team Rocket laughs evilly before floating away. Ash yells after them before grabbing his jacket and running. Shaking my head, I grab his bag and follow after him.

"Ash! Slow down!" I yell. I looked back to see Brock and Dawn following after us. "Pepper! Use Quick Attack on the rope holding Pikachu's cage!"

"We'll see what Carnavine has to say about that!" James yells. I watch as he releases his Pokémon, but it backfires. The grass type latches onto his head and proceeds to cause problems. For a group of criminals, they sure mess up a lot. We all watched as Pepper accidentally popped the balloon and it made a quick decent.

"Pepper! Save Pikachu!" I yell. Once again, Ash was off and running after Team Rocket. Breathing deeply, I followed after him, making sure to keep my eyes on the balloon.

~:~

After some time, we jogged around, looking for Team Rocket's balloon. It still perplexes me how they continue to get the funds for these ridiculous schemes. "I think I see it! Pikachu!" Ash yells. We all arrive to see Pikachu and a Turtwig standing alone. Where did Team Rocket go?

"This is my chance! Piplup, use Peck!" Dawn commands. Turtwig fired off a Razor Leaf in response that missed. The attack hit a wild Oddish in some nearby bushes. The Oddish released a Sleep Powder attack near Pikachu. Seeing the danger, Ash rushed to Pikachu's side. I smacked my forehead as Ash and Pikachu both went down. Turtwig then grabbed Pikachu before running away with him. Dawn and Brock cried out before following the grass type, leaving me with an unconscious Ash.

"Children!" I heard a voice yell. We all turned to see an elderly woman smile at us. "Turtwig won't hurt your Pikachu. I promise you. Why don't you come back to my cabin and let me take care of your friend?"

We all looked to each other before looking down at a snoring Ash. I shook my head at him.

~:~

The woman's name was Clara. She lived alone in the forest with only the Pokémon as her companions. We learned that Turtwig was a friend and a protector of the forest Pokémon. She told us about finding Turtwig when it was injured, feeding it and nursing it back to health, which prompted it to stick around.

Once Ash had learned that Turtwig was only trying to protect Pikachu, he made it his goal to befriend the grass type. We all head out towards the forest, sure to find Pikachu. Clara continued to speak about different encounters she had with Turtwig while it stayed in the forest.

Eventually, we spotted Pikachu in a clearing. Unfortunately, Turtwig was still with him and still distrusting of us. Turtwig quickly tackled Ash, knocking his hat off his head. We all watched as Pikachu spoke to Turtwig. To my surprise, Turtwig seemed sorry for what it had done.

"Don't worry about it Turtwig. I should be thanking you for helping out Pikachu," Ash says. Turtwig gazed up at him before smiling and tackling Ash again. Turtwig happily bit down onto Ash's head in the same way James's Carnavine had done.

"Turtwig seems to be fond of you Ash. Whenever Turtwig bites your head, it means that it is drawn to you," Clara clarifies. I looked from Ash to the Turtwig on his head.

~:~

For the rest of the day, Ash was off in the forest playing with Turtwig and the other Pokémon. Brock stayed with Clara to discuss herbal remedies and recipes. Since my training was cut short, I decided to suggest a quick training session with Dawn.

"So, what do you want to work on?" I ask Dawn.

"If it's alright with you, I wanna practice my battling so I can get stronger for my Contest," Dawn says. I nod at her. The decision to participate in Contests was still in the back of my mind. I don't expect to win or even enter the Grand Festival. I just want the experience. Gyms are where I belong.

"Sure. I'll do my best to give you a Contest battle. Pepper, let's go!"

"Piplup, spotlight!" Dawn yells. Spotlight? "Piplup, use Peck!"

"Dodge it! Now, use Quick Attack!"

"Bubblebeam, Piplup!" Piplup was too slow for the attack and ended up getting hit and thrown back. "Piplup! Quick, get up and use Bubblebeam!"

I watched as the water type attack hit and Pepper fell from the sky. "No! Pepper! Snap out of it!"

"Now, use Peck!"

As Pepper fell to the ground, Piplup delivered the final blow that knocked out my Pokémon and won Dawn the battle. I went to my Pokémon, holding him in my arms. He gave me a small cry. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. You were amazing," I say. I looked over to where Dawn was celebrating with Piplup. She deserved the win.

~:~

"Thanks for everything, Clara," Dawn says the next day. She was still riding off her first win and I couldn't help but smile.

"Take it easy, Turtwig," Ash says.

We left then, heading down the path to Jubilife City. We got a few yards away before Turtwig rushed over and stops us. Clara then told us that Turtwig wished to travel with Ash. "Isn't that sweet?" I ask Chimchar.

We all watched as Ash faced off against Turtwig. Pepper and Chimchar watched on intently as well. I always learned something new whenever Ash battled. He really knew how to use the field to his advantage. Ash threw a Pokéball, and Turtwig was taken inside. After a few moments, the ball stopped shaking with a click. We all congratulated Ash on his catch before truly saying goodbye to Clara and heading off to Jubilife City once again.

~:~

The next day, after a quick battle between Ash and I, we all decided to settle down for lunch. Everyone went about setting things up for the delicious meal that Brock was making. Most of the Pokémon had disappeared, but I was sure they would return once they knew lunch was ready. "See? You got it," Brock says. I smile at him before looking down proudly at the bowl of Pokémon food I had made.

I had been experimenting with different tastes and flavors for my Pokémon. I knew now that Chimchar preferred spicy food while Pepper would eat anything. "You think they'll like it?" I ask Brock.

"Of course. Besides, it's the thought that counts," Brock says.

Just then, a loud explosion goes off just before a dust cloud rises above the tree tops. "What was that?" Ash asks.

"Let's go see," Dawn says. I put down the plate and follow after them. Eventually, we all see our Pokémon fighting with one another. Piplup and Aipom were going at it while Chimchar and Turtwig were in the middle of their own battle.

"Hey! Knock it off!"

"What's going on here!?" I ask. I watch Chimchar freezes before looking over at me. She seemed to be giving me an innocent look. She was distracted long enough for Turtwig to break up the fighting between Aipom and Piplup. "Turtwig is supposed to be your friend. You're not supposed to pick fights. Got it?" I turned to see Ash trying to get Turtwig off his head and sweat dropped. Did I miss something?

"Pathetic."

"It's Paul," Ash says. We all turn to see Paul standing a ways away, looking nonchalant and serious all at the same time. How long has he been here? "You like showing up out of nowhere don't ya?"

"I'm just out here doing some training. Not that it's any of _your business," _Paul says.

"If it's not his business, why'd you tell him?" I ask and pick up Chimchar. He gives me a glare that I shrug off.

"I was just training for my Oreburgh gym battle," Paul says. "That can't be _your_ Turtwig. Can it?"

"Yep. And it's strong too," Ash brags. I shake my head at Ash. He must care what Paul thinks.

"Doesn't look like much to me," Paul scoffs. I don't know how it happened, but Ash and Paul were having a battle before I could blink. "I wanna give my little friend here a chance for a little revenge."

Paul released his Chimchar and I stared at it. It didn't seem like a revenge-hungry Pokémon to me. "Are you sure it's really _Chimchar _who wants revenge? Or is it just you?" I ask Paul.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" he snaps.

"_Excuse me_. I hope your battling skills aren't as terrible as your manners," I retort and look away. "Ash, I hope you win. _Someone_ needs to put him in his place," I say.

~:~

We had to leave the area to find a clearing big enough for the battle. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Paul. I really hope Ash would give up hoping to be friends with a guy like that. "What's the matter with you? Can't you watch where you're going?" Paul snapped at his Chimchar.

"Why don't you lay off him? It was an accident," I object. My Chimchar yells at Paul along with me before leaping from my arms. She goes to Paul's Chimchar before comforting him and leading him away.

"Whatever," Paul scoffs. I was about to say something when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Brock gave me an understanding look before leading me away as well.

Eventually, we got to a clearing big enough for the battle. Dawn, Brock, and I sat on a nearby log with Pikachu, Piplup, and Chimchar to watch the battle. Ash started the battle off by ordering Turtwig to use Tackle. Turtwig ran towards Chimchar, who jumped up on Paul's command and stopped right in front of Turtwig before using a Scratch attack. We all watched as Chimchar fought with a smile on its face.

"Chimchar, finish with Flame Wheel!"

I looked down at my Chimchar who watched with fascination. I could already see the gears turning in her head. She wanted to learn that move. Suddenly, a net fired from the sky. We all looked up to see Team Rocket's balloon again. I let out a frustrated noise. They never give up. The three start to recite their motto, and just as they are about to say their names, Paul calls out for an Ember attack. Chimchar used an Ember attack as ordered causing the three to catch fire.

"You guys just never quit! Chimchar, use Ember to set Turtwig free," I command. She leaped out of my arms before firing her attack and destroying the net. Ash ran over to catch his falling Pokémon.

"What do you think you're doing Twerp!?" Jessie yelled. I ignored her and continued to glare at them.

"Now, send them flying with Ember!" I yell. Chimchar took to spinning while firing her attack, letting out a twister of flames. She landed on the jump with a cry that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. We all watched the balloon explored before the trio blew away into the sky. "Those three are such pests."

The force of the explosion however sends Ash, Paul and Chimchar over the edge of the cliff they were fighting on. As soon as they disappeared, Brock, Dawn, and I went over to the edge and called down to them. We plan to meet each other on the other side of the forest before Brock pulls out his region map. "We're in Bewilder Forest," Brock says.

"Bewilder Forest? You're kidding. This does not sound good. I've heard that name before. I just can't remember where," Dawn says and places a finger to her chin in thought.

Then, it hits me. "Bewilder Forest is full of Stantler!" I cry out. I look over the edge to find Ash and warn him, but he's already disappeared. "We've got to get to Ash. The Stantler have a habit of confusing people who wander into the forest and eventually making them get lost."

"Let's get going then," Brock says and we all head back down the cliff to the other side.

~:~

We continued to search the edge of the forest for Ash and Turtwig. "Do you think Ash would allow the Stantler to hypnotize him?" I ask Brock.

"Knowing Ash, it's a big possibility," he says. I turn when I hear some screaming and a loud buzzing noise. "Look!" It was Ash…and a hoard of Beedrill!? "Run!"

I didn't need to be told twice. Clutching Chimchar to me, I ran as fast as I could. Whatever happened to sitting down and having a peaceful lunch!? Ash is soon stopped however, when he ran right into into a large Ursaring. Although this scared the Beedrill away, we all cowered in front of the very angry bear. Turtwig jumped to attack Ursaring then, probably defending Ash.

I actually thought Ash could handle Ursaring. That is until it let out a Hyper Beam and began to chase us out of the forest. The last thing on my mind was standing to battle to frustrated bear. "We finally got out of that crazy forest!" Dawn yells.

"Yeah, but so did Ursaring!" Ash replies. Feeling a snag on my foot, I let out a gasp as I fell to the ground. I strangled scream escaped my mouth as I clutched Chimchar. "Gabi!"

"Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!"

I watch as a red and orange ball flew over my head and collided with Ursaring. A pokeball captured the flaming Pokeball before falling to the ground. Blinking I sat up and looked over Chimchar. "Are you okay, Chimchar?" I asked her just as Paul's Chimchar approached us with a concerned look. "That was scary." I stood up and went over to the others trying to get a hold on my heart beat. I nodded to them before they could say anything. "I'm fine."

"You're still hanging onto that weak Turtwig?" Paul asks.

"You don't get it. If you work with them, Pokémon will get stronger. Let me prove it to ya. Let's have another battle," Ash says.

"Forget it. You can't win. Chimchar," Paul calls out. I look down to see Paul's Chimchar look to its trainer before following after him. My Chimchar waved goodbye to it with a laugh.

"When did you two become such good friends?" I ask her with a smirk. She gives me a nervous look before climbing onto my head. I laughed at her before rubbing her head.

"You _scared_?" I heard Ash taunt. I raised an eyebrow at him. Why did he want to battle Paul so badly?

Paul and Ash got into their places for their rematch. We all stood to the side to watch. Ash started with Tackle, but Paul didn't look impressed. Paul told Chimchar to counter using Scratch but this time, Turtwig dodged. I was surprised to see Turtwig actually listen to Ash this time.

The battle continued with both sides exchanging blows. I watched the battle considering Paul's battle style with Ash's. If these were the type of trainers who would be entering the Sinnoh League, then I had a lot of training to do and a lot to learn.

"Turtwig, Tackle!"

"Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!"

We all watched, unmoving, as the two Pokémon collided and smoke erupted. We waited for the smoke to clear only to see Chimchar left standing. Ash falls to his knees and apologized to Turtwig, before thanking it for putting up such a great fight. I smiled sympathetically as Ash's back before feeling Chimchar get off my head. "That was a good battle, Ash. I learned a lot," I say to him.

"Me too," Dawn says. "I will definitely put it to use in my Contest."

I felt a weight on my shoulder before looking over to Chimchar. We heard cheering before seeing Chimchar jumping happily. "Being pathetic is nothing to be proud of," Paul says. I glare at him.

"Don't you know how to say anything nice!?" Ash yells.

"Why would I waste my time giving nice words to losers?" Paul asked with a smirk. I stood next to ash and proceeded to yell at Paul.

"You've got _some_ nerve! I don't know who you think you are, but you need a serious attitude adjustment!" I yell. Paul turned to leave then, not even responding to Ash's cries. I was so furious that I wanted to battle him. But, it wouldn't have done anything. People like that don't change after one battle. I felt warm fur rub against my cheek, snapping me out of my anger. I took Chimchar of my shoulder to look her in the face. I gave her a smile. "Thanks, Chimchar. I won't let him get to me," I say. She smiles at me before I notice something off about her. "Chimchar, where's your barrette?"

~:~

Moi-Moi: Well, that's done. Next, chapter will have the answer to the riddle. I was on a role guy and had to get this out to you! Paul just irks me so much…

Edited: 12/15/12


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended._

Moi-Moi: Hey, guys. You've all waited patiently and it's time to reveal the answer to the riddle. It was Plusle and Minum! Congrats to Applejax XD for being the first to answer it correctly. Here's your next riddle:

_One of seven brothers am I,_

_With a crystal blue stone I arrive._

_With fins so that underwater I may thrive,_

_Who am I? _

Leave your guess in a review!

~:~

Early the next morning, Dawn made us all sit around to watch her get ready for her Contest performance. She seemed perfectly poised and calm and it made me wonder if she would be the same way once she got on stage. "Alright Piplup, Spotlight. Now use Bubblebeam!" Piplup does so, creating a large ring of bubbles around it as it spins around releasing the attack. I smile a little, impressed. Maybe Dawn will win this without a second Pokémon. Just then, Piplup begins to get dizzy from spinning around so much. The bubbles are sent flying before popping and Piplup falls on its head to the ground.

Dawn rubs the back of her neck and looks over to us. With sympathetic smiles, we all hold up signs with red Xs on them. Chimchar flips hers over before drawing a _:P_ onto it and laughing.

"Nice try, but no," Ash says.

"It was pretty at first, but then…" I trail off.

"No one said that it would be easy," Brock says.

"We may have messed up, but we looked great doing it," Dawn says suddenly. You got to admire her diligence.

"You can look great while making a fool out of yourself?" I ask with a teasing tone. Chimchar laughs loudly from my side.

"What do _you_ know? Piplup, spin and use Bubblebeam," Dawn says. Piplup once again jumps into the air and start spinning around while using Bubblebeam, but quickly becomes dizzy. The bubbles then rain down on us, forcing us to dodge them all. Piplup hits the dirt again, and Dawn runs over to it, more worried about her Pokémon than us. Once again, we all give her an X score. "What are we doing wrong?"

"You probably just need more practice," I offer. "No one's perfect on their first try."

"Yeah. You're probably right," Dawn agrees.

~:~

Around noon, we all sat down for a delicious and relaxing lunch that Brock had prepared. It made me smile to see Chimchar and Pepper enjoying the Pokémon food I had made myself. "That's strange," Brock starts.

"What's strange?" I ask.

"Piplup was here just a second ago," Brock answers.

"Huh? I hope he's not off getting into trouble," Dawn comments. Pikachu calls out to us and points to the tall grass. We go over to see Piplup talking to a Quagsire, Golduck, Poliwag, and Wooper. Piplup speaks to it before leading them off somewhere. "I'm afraid to ask, but where's Piplup leading those Pokémon?"

"Let's follow them and see where," Brock says. We all leave the grass and follow after the group. We find them as the group comes across Ludicolo dancing happily around their own little pile of berries in front of a clear lake. Piplup marches over to the Ludicolo and tries to talk to them. The trio of Ludicolo then spit out a triple Water Gun at Piplup, which made it even angrier. I sigh and shake my head at the proud bird. How can something so small have such a big ego?

Piplup was sent lying into the lake. Just then, a giant Magikarp emerges from the lake and Team Rocket pop out of it. I roll my eyes at them. Piplup gets thrown into the large lake with a cry. "Listen, is that a voice I hear?" Jessie starts.

"Team Rocket! Where do you pests keep coming from!? You're like a bad rash that won't go away!" I yell at them, cutting off their motto. I walk out of the grass and march over to the edge of the lake.

"Who do you think you're talking to!? I'll have you know that we are considered as the highest of the high in Team Rocket ranks!" Jessie yells.

"Well, if _you're_ the best Team Rocket has to offer, they should have stayed in Kanto," I say with a smirk and shrug. Chimchar laughs loudly at them and I laugh along with her.

"You twerp! I'll show you! Seviper, use Poison Tail!" Jessie yells.

"Carnavine, Pin Missile!"

Piplup appeared out of the lake then before launching a Bubblebeam. After nullifying the Pin Missile and sending Seviper flying, Piplup began to peck at the large Magikarp Submarine. Once again, Piplup is thrown off.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash yells.

"Ember Chimchar!" I yell. Before the attacks can hit, Team Rocket went back inside the sub. Slowly, the submarine turned to us and two ropes were launched from the Magikarp's mouth. The wrapped around all the Pokémon before pulling them in. "Chimchar!"

"Pikachu!"

Piplup then tried to save the Pokémon again, but it was futile. It continued pecking at the sub, only to be thrown back. Soon, a hoard of Remoraid projectiles was shot out. We all watched as Piplup was beat around and badly damaged. "Piplup!" Dawn yelled. After some encouraging words from its trainer, Piplup picked itself up for one last attempt. We watched on as Piplup spun and fired off a Bubblebeam that destroyed every one of the Remoraid. Piplup then used the same ring of bubbles to cause a whirlpool in the lake surrounding Team Rocket.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. Team Rocket was electrocuted in their submarine right before it was reduced to nothing. The sub exploded before it began raining berries. "How did Team Rocket get all these berries?"

"I have no idea. Today's just been a really weird day I guess," I answer.

~:~

After that escapade yesterday, we were all ready to arrive in Jubilife City. Well, at least I was. Chimchar was getting a bit restless so I had sent her out to play in the trees. Just then, a shadow overtakes us. We all look up to see a red Pokémon jump down from above. Ash declared that it was a Scizor and Dawn checked it on her Pokèdex. I was contemplating catching it when a girl ran out to it and spoke to it familiarly.

Just then, Brock sped past us and held onto the young woman's hand. "I'll never understand it. He's usually so mature and composed," I mutter. Ash and Dawn laughed uneasily.

"Hello, there. My name's Minnie. I hope my Scizor didn't scare you. We were just on our way to the Powerzone Gym," the girl says. I raise an eyebrow at her. There's a gym out here in the middle of nowhere?

"That's funny. It's not here on my handbook," Brock says.

"That's because it's new. And I hear it's really strong," Minnie says. Instantly, Ash is psyched.

"Strong gym? Then, I wanna challenge it!" Ash says. "What do you say, Gabi? You up for it?"

"Yeah. I just hope that gym's ready for me cause I plan to win," I say. I had no idea where the arrogance came from. I guess being around Ash makes it rub off on you.

~:~

"The gym should be around here. I just hope I can win," Minnie says dejectedly.

"What are you talking about? I'm sure you'll win with a strong Scizor like you've got," Ash cheers her on.

"I guess. But, I'm not very good at battling. But, it won't be so bad. The Powerzone Gym promises to train any Pokémon that lose to it so they can become stronger," Minnie finishes with a smile.

"Like a Daycare?" I ask. I've never heard of a Gym doing that before. Is this some kind of new policy?

We arrived outside of a very colorful building that Minnie revealed to be the gym. I stare up at it in skepticism. I thought gyms were bigger than this. Well, it is new. Maybe they wanted to open early before they could really finish their improvements.

We entered the gym to see a woman in a dress that reminded me of Seviper skin and her Croagunk battling a Trainer and his Sandslash. After watching the Croagunk, I realized that Minnie was right. This is a powerful gym. The gym leader won without breaking a sweat. At the end of the battle, the Trainer ran over to check on his Sandslash, before handing its Pokéball over to the gym attendant.

"Hey. I'd like to challenge your gym please," Ash says. Minnie and I challenge the gym as well. The gym leader introduces herself as "Princess Powerzone" and asks who wants to battle her first. Ash and I both call out that we will, but "Princess Powerzone" says that Minnie will be her challenger. I look at Minnie. She hadn't even said anything.

Minnie gets ready to battle the gym leader at opposite ends of the field. The attendant announces the rules while Ash and Brock explain Gyms to Dawn. I was too busy focusing on the gym leader. I knew she had a Croagunk so I guessed this would be a poison type gym. The battle was 1 on 1. Princess (although she looked far too old to be a princess) chose Croagunk, who was already on the field anyway, and Minnie chose her Scizor. "Pay close attention. I've never fought in a gym battle before. We have to learn as much as we can," I say to Chimchar. She nods to me and focused on the battle.

The battle begins, with Princess Powerzone ordering a Poison Sting attack, which Scizor used Quick Attack to dodge, before connecting with Slash and Metal Claw. When I saw how easy Croagunk went down, I was shocked. I thought she'd be tougher. But, the referee took so long to call the match that Croagunk was able to climb to its feet and continue battling. The gym leader commands another Poison Sting, but Croagunk hit Scizor with Brick Break, before using Poison Jab to knock out Scizor. This time the referee immediately calls the gym leader the winner. "Huh. That's weird," I comment. Not only was it weird, it was a cheat.

"What's weird?" Ash asks.

"You would think that a gym leader of all people would have control over their Pokémon. Croagunk didn't listen to her," I answer. I wanted to observer her more, but the gym leader was taking a lunch break. With a dejected sigh, I left the gym with the others. I would battle her next time and I would win that badge.

~:~

After lunch, I faced off against the gym leader who seemed overly confident. She brought out her Croagunk for the battle. I looked it in the face before cringing. That stare was unnerving. "Chimchar, let's go," I say. Chimchar moved onto the field and faced the poison type. We had been training so hard for our first gym battle. I had thought it would be at the Oreburgh Gym, so I had made sure to train every day. With only a Fire and Flying type, I would have been at a disadvantage. But, this battle had much better odds.

"Croagunk, Brick Break!"

"Dodge it and use Ember!" I yell. Croagunk stood in place and used its arms to block the attack.

"Don't just sit there! Use Poison Jab!" the gym leader yelled. She sounded like a spoiled princess to me.

"Dodge it! And use Scratch! Now, use Ember again!" I yell. The flames from Chimchar seemed stronger than ever. I watched as the fire went from simple embers to a full-on flame. I smiled as she spun and covered her body in the flames and began to roll towards Croagunk. Once it made contact, Croagunk went down and looked unable to battle. I looked to the referee, but he seemed hesitant. "What are you waiting for?"

"Uh…Croagunk is… unable to battle. The victory goes to the challenger," he says sadly. I cheer loudly and go to Chimchar. She jumps into my arms and I rub her fur.

"Awesome, Chimchar. You learned Flame Wheel!"

"This battle isn't over yet! You have to win another battle first!" the gym leader yelled. Yep, Spoiled Princess.

"What? It was a one-on-one battle. I won," I say. She laughs and sends out her Dustox. I go back to the box and command Chimchar to head out into battle.

"In this battle, I get to choose your Pokémon. And I choose Pikachu," she says with a smile. I gave her a dry look.

"That's where your rules fail, _Princess. _Pikachu's not my Pokémon," I say.

"Then the trainer with the Pikachu must battle," she says as if it's the simplest thing in the world.

"What? But, I'm battling you!" I yell. Chimchar objects on the field as well.

"Those are the rules," she singsongs.

"You know what I think? I think you're scared to fight my Chimchar cause you know you'll lose. But that's okay. I guess this gym's not as great as everyone says it is," I say nonchalantly. I even add a casual hair flip to tick her off. To add conviction, Chimchar yawned loudly before curling up on the field for a nap.

"_What!?_ No one insults Princess Powerzone!" she yells, outraged before commanding her Pokémon. "Dustox, Poison Sting!"

"Flame Wheel!" Chimchar easily dodged the poison attack before hitting the Dustox with a direct hit. Once again, the Pokémon went down. "Ha!"

"Yay, Gabi! That means you won!" Dawn cheers.

"Alright, Gabi!" Ash cheers.

Just then, something shoots out of the roof and grabs Chimchar before grabbing Pikachu in one swift motion. "Chimchar!" I yell.

I watch as a Meowth-shaped Balloon bursts out of the roof, giving me a bad feeling in my gut. "Listen, is that a twerp voice I hear?" the woman says.

"It's speaking to me loud and clear," the man says. "On the wind…"

"Team Rocket, shut up and give me back my Chimchar," I yell at them from the ground.

"I am sick and tired of you cutting off our motto! How is anyone supposed to work in these conditions!?" Jessie yells.

"Then get a new job! Pepper, use Wing Attack on the balloon to save the Pokémon!" I yell and free Pepper. He flies up to the balloon quickly before popping a hole in the balloon with a ripping sound. Team Rocket screams loudly as their balloon falls to the ground.

With a frustrated noise, I glare at Team Rocket. I was angry that they had stolen my Pokémon and that I had actually believed it was a real gym. I _knew _something was wrong with that gym!

"Go, Dustox," Jessie yells.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yells. One thunderbolt was enough to send them all blasting away. I sigh loudly shaking my head as I reached down to pick up Chimchar. Those three will never learn.

We were leaving Minnie with the Pokéballs to wait for the trainers to return for them. However, when Croagunk stood in our way, we stopped. "It must be a wild Croagunk. Do you want to come with us?" Brock says. Croagunk seems willing to go with Brock and let Brock capture it. Just as we are about to leave, Brock decided to profess his love for Minnie again. He sure has a lot of love to go around.

Just then, we all watched as Croagunk appeared out of its Pokéball and fired a Poison Jab to Brock's gut. We all watched this with a strange look. "At least it got Brock under control. You're alright with me Croagunk," I say with a smile. At least we had somebody to control Brock when he got out of hand.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

Next Time: Enter Buneary and Hello, Jubilife City!

Edited: 12/15/12


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended._

Moi-Moi: Hey guys. I have a question. Does anyone really like this fic? I write for fun and recreation, but I also write for you guys. I didn't expect an overwhelming response, but it's kind of depressing and it makes me contemplate continuing to post up this story. Anyways, Congrats Applejax XD once again. Instead of a riddle, this time I have a Pokémon Question that hit me while I was cleaning today.

Since Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, and all the other ghost types are _ghosts _does that mean they were _alive _at some point? You have to live in order to die and become a ghost right? Let me know your thoughts. : )

~:~

"There you go," I say to Chimchar. Her fur looked completely groomed and perfect. She eeped before taking my hand and running the brush down her back a few times.

"It seems Chimchar loves to be spoiled," Brock says with a teasing smile. I sigh before continue to groom Chimchar. I was mid-stroke when a loud screech sounded that made me drop the brush and made me fall over. I could hear the sounds of flapping wings before looking at Dawn's tent. What happened to her?

"Dawn? Are you _dying_ in there? What's with that scream?" I ask.

"Dawn, are you okay?" Ash asks, now awake. He goes over to Dawn's ten, but she tells him to stay away.

"You can't see me like this. I've got serious bed head!" she objects. I give her tent a dry look.

"It can't be as bad as you claim. Just get out here and I'll help you," I say.

"Are you _crazy!? _You have to come in here!" she objects. I roll my eyes at her before going over to her tent. I slip inside and close the flap behind me. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. "Stop laughing at me! You're supposed to be helping me! Gabi!" Dawn yells at me. I wipe the tears from my eyes before grabbing her brush.

"I'm sorry. I've never seen you look anything less than _perfection_, Dawn. You shouldn't be surprised," I say and begin to pass the brush through her hair. Just as I am sure that I've got it handled, it poofs back out into a bird's nest. She screams again and I sigh. Piplup laughs and I look at him. "I got it. Piplup, use Bubblebeam."

"What?" Dawn asks.

"Trust me," I say with a smile. Piplup lets loose the attack and a stream of bubbles bounce around the tent before popping and leaving a mist in the tent. I smiled when it landed on Dawn's head before passing the brush through it again.

"There. All done," I say and crawl out of Dawn's tent. I dust off my hands and look behind me. Dawn steps out and begins to flip her hair. I shake my head at her. She was such a girly-girl. "You know Dawn, I've never met someone who care so much about their appearance as you do."

"Well, if you're going to be in Contests, you have to look you're best," she says and runs her fingers through her hair.

"But, are the point of Contests to show off the Pokémon and not the trainer?" I ask and point to Piplup.

"She's got a point there, Dawn," Ash says with a teasing smile. I hold up my hand for a high five and laugh lightly. Ash presses his hand against mine and we watch Dawn expectantly.

"No need to worry. My Pokémon will look amazing," she says. I looked away from them then in search of Chimchar. Before I could turn back around, I heard stumbling and yelling. I don't know how it happened, but they managed to trip over each other and send a potato flying. Luckily, Pikachu was there to catch it.

"Thanks, Pikachu. That was a great catch," Brock compliments.

"I don't get it. Your hair looks the same to me. Just what _did_ you do?" Ash asks with a puzzled look.

"It's simple really. I could help you out with your bed head, Ash," Dawn smiles.

"That's okay. I've got my hat," Ash says. Just then, Aipom stole the hat right off Ash's head. Chimchar cheered happily before joining Aipom for a game of Keep Away from Ash. I was about to say something, but it was too much fun to watch Ash fail to get him hat back from the two Pokémon. Pikachu then pursued the two and stole the hat back with a Quick Attack. However, the hat covers Pikachu's face and he lands in the middle of a path.

I could hear the sound of a motorcycle approaching as we all looked to Pikachu with wide eyes. "Pikachu!" Ash yells out. We See Officer Jenny attempt to swerve and nearly ran over Pikachu, but a Buneary jumped in and whisked Pikachu out of danger. We all went over to the two, Ash reclaiming his hat.

Buneary then pulls its fur over her face before bouncing away. I blinked at the strange behavior. Speaking of strange behavior, we all turned to see Brock on his knees in front of Officer Jenny. Just as Brock began to embarrass us, Croagunk appeared with a Poison Jab to Brock's midsection before dragging him away. Officer Jenny then showed us a picture of some thieves who were stealing machine parts. We shook our heads, saying we didn't recognize them. Officer Jenny left then, bidding us a good day. I looked around. Just where had Croagunk taken Brock?

~:~

While we were eating lunch, Ash declared that he wanted to catch Buneary. I raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't look like the type to want "cute" Pokémon. "Ash, you can't. I haven't even caught a Pokémon yet," Dawn objects.

"Did you see the way Buneary jumped to save Pikachu? I gotta catch it," Ash says.

"Yeah. I also saw the way it bounced into a tree afterwards," I say with a smirk. Just then, Buneary jumps out of some bushes and bounces away. Ash and Dawn both get up to pursue it, leaving the dishes to me and Brock.

I sigh before looking to Brock. "Go make sure they don't hurt themselves. I'll handle the dishes, Brock," I say. He gives me a grateful smile before heading out after them. I sigh and begin to get to work.

~:~

It was a good while before I had finished the dishes and they were dry. Thanks to Chimchar's speedy drying, we were able to put them all away and set out in search of the others. When we found them, Dawn was cheering happily. "What'd I miss?" I ask.

"I caught a Buneary!" Dawn says.

"Congratulations, Dawn. That's great. Now, you'll definitely win that Jubilife Contest," I say. Dawn goes on cheering for some time before releasing Buneary. I smile at her. "Since you've got two Pokémon now, what do you say to having a battle with me?" I ask her.

Dawn looks at me before grinning. "You're on," she says.

"This will be a two-on-two battle. The first one to knock out their opponent's Pokémon is the winner," Brock says, acting as the referee.

"You can go first Dawn," I say.

"Thanks. Go, Buneary!" Dawn says and throws her Pokeball. "Now, use Dizzy Punch!"

"Dodge it, Chimchar! Use Ember!" I yell. Chimchar moves to the side, which throws Buneary off long enough for Chimchar to fire Ember at it. "Scratch!"

"Dodge it! Use Ice Beam!" Dawn yells.

"Flame wheel!" I yell. Buneary fires an Ice Beam, but Chimchar's already rolling. She rolls head on into the Ice Beam causing it to melt and bounce off her. I noticed Chimchar getting slower before seeing the ice start to encase her. Suddenly, Buneary stopped her attack. "Flame Wheel, Chimchar!" I yell. I'm not sure if it could be counted as a Flame Wheel. Chimchar's whole flame was covered in an ice casing. It shone in the light just before colliding with Buneary and sending her flying.

"Buneary is unable to battle. Chimchar is the winner," Brock says.

"What was that?" Ash asks. I look to Dawn. She seemed shocked at what she saw. I was shocked as well. I didn't think that was possible. But, I wasn't about to question it.

"Alright Piplup, spotlight!" Dawn yells. Piplup came out of its Pokeball in a pose and looked over at us.

"Watch out for its contest moves. Use Scratch!" I yell. Chimchar closes in on Piplup with a nice speed.

"Dodge it, quick! And use Bubblebeam!" Dawn yells. I watch as Piplup gets away long enough to fire a Bubblebeam from behind. "Now, use Peck!"

"Chimchar! Get up and use Flame Wheel!" I yell to my fallen Pokémon. Chimchar slowly picks itself up before its eyes widen.

"Bubblebeam!"

"Chimchar is unable to battle! Piplup is the winner!"

"Chimchar, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how much stronger Dawn has gotten," I say lifting Chimchar and taking her back to my side of the field. "But, don't worry. I'm gonna win this. Pepper, let's go!"

"Alright Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

"Use Whirlwind to blow it back!" I yell. The large gusts of wind stop the bubbles mid-air before sending them backwards to rain down on Piplup. "Now, use Quick Attack!"

While Piplup was dodging falling bubbles, it didn't notice Pepper closing in on it. Pepper's speed had improved so much. "Piplup! Quick, get up and use Peck!" Dawn yells.

"I don't think so! Use Wing Attack!" I yell. Just then, Pepper spread its wing before a bright light encased its body. I watched, mouth agape, as Pepper's body became larger and thinner. I let out a disbelieving gasp. My Pepper had evolved! I pulled out my Pokèdex to check it out.

_Staravia, the Starling Pokémon. It flies around forests and fields in search of bug Pokémon. It stays within a huge flock._

A Staravia. And according to my Pokèdex, Pepper just learned a new move. "Pepper, use Aerial Ace!" Faster than ever, Pepper moved in close tailing a now panicking Piplup.

"Piplup is unable to battle. Which means Gabrielle is the winner!"Brock announced. I cheered loudly with Chimchar and Pepper by my side. I was sure of it now. That Oreburgh badge would be mine.

~:~

You could easily tell that a Contest was coming up. Jubilife City was crowded with Coordinators and Pokémon alike. Everywhere you looked, someone was grooming a Pokémon or feeding them a Poffin.

Dawn was leading us through the city with her face in a magazine. "What exactly are we looking for?" Ash asks her.

"We're looking for a Pokétch Shop," Dawn answers. That's all?

"What's a Pokétch?" Ash asks. Dawn stops immediately before yelling at ash for not knowing what the newest fad in Sinnoh entailed.

"Dawn, Ash is from Kanto. Pokétches aren't as big over there as they are here. And even so, they are still new," I say, saving Ash from Dawn's frustration.

"Well, even so, I have to get one. All the Top Coordinators have one," she goes on.

"But, you're not a Top Coordinator," I say cheekily. Dawn gives me an annoyed look before continuing down the street. Just then, Dawn notices three clowns giving away Pokétches. She pushes her way through the crowd and receives a Pokétch from a clown. They insist that Ash, Brock, and I take one as well, even though Ash says that he doesn't want one. "Live a little, Ash. Take it," I say and bump him. He relents before taking the device and strapping it to his wrist.

We decided to sit on a park bench while Brock decided where we would go for lunch. Dawn admires her Pokétch just before a Shinx approaches us. I immediately go to it and begin to pet its fur. "Aren't you adorable? Please tell me you don't have a trainer," I say and rub its head.

Just then, a little boy walks up to us and speaks. "Yes. That Shinx is mine. And those Pokétches you're wearing are fake," he says.

"What? You're kidding! There's no way!" Dawn objects, clutching her Pokétch.

"How do you know that?" I ask him, scratching the electric Pokémon's ears. He takes Dawn's Pokétch before running it under some water causing the paint to smear.

"My dad would never make such a dumb color," the boy says. Dad? I stood with Shinx in my arms, to happy to let it go.

~:~

We found out the boy's name was Landis as he took us back to his father's factory. Inside the Pokétch factory, Landis's Father apologized for his son's behavior. "You shouldn't apologize, it's those clowns who should apologize," I say. The father then tells us that he had the Pokétches pulled from the stores when he found out about the fakes that were circulating.

Landis then discovers that Dawn is a Coordinator, which prompts his father to show us a prototype Pokétch, which has a Friendship Checker. That sounds interesting. Ash asked him to try it out on him and Pikachu. I was curious as to what kind of reading they would get. Apparently, Ash and Pikachu's bond was "almost off the graph".

At the Pokémon Center that night, Dawn paced angrily, complaining about Landis, when Pikachu noticed something outside. We looked out the window and see a large group of Pokémon walking along outside. We go outside only to run into Landis. His said that Shinx had run off after a Psyduck's cry came out of the Pokétches.

After following the Pokémon who seemed to be in a trance, we found a large metal box in the middle of the forest. Landis spotted Shinx in the box, and moved to get it, but a metal door started to shut the front of the container. Dawn rushed up and grabbed Landis out of the way, just before the door slammed shut. Dawn and his father ask if he is okay, before Dawn demands to know who is behind the scheme.

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?"

"It's speaking to me loud and clear."

"On the wind…"

"Pass the stars…"

"In your ear!"

"Team Rocket! You give back those Pokémon!" I yell.

"No! I will not let you interrupt our motto again!" Jessie yelled at me. I glare at her before commanding Chimchar to use Ember.

"I could care less about your bad rhymes and stupid poses. You give back those Pokémon! Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!" I yell. Before they could do anything, Chimchar hit them with a Flame Wheel attack that destroyed the container and sent them flying. I let out a sigh and shook my head.

The Pokémon begin to walk out of the container and Brock speaks, "The explosion must have broken the trance." Landis's father tells the Pokémon to go back to their Trainers. That would have been a disaster to the Contest if all those Coordinators lost their Pokémon.

Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy then arrive, saying that they got there as fast as they could. Brock goes all heart-eyed, and starts to talk with them, but Croagunk was waiting with its Poison Jab. Croagunk then dragged Brock away before he could hurt himself. Landis turned to me and thanked me for saving Shinx. I shrugged it off. It was the right thing to do.

~:~

As a thank you from Landis's father, he gave me a Pokétch the next day. Not really seeing the need for one, I gave it to Dawn. She was ecstatic and wouldn't stop showing it off. I contemplated taking it back, but maybe next time. She would need a calm head for her Contest in two days.

Moi-Moi: There you have it. Please Review!

Next Time: Enter Zoey and Staravia!

Edited: 12/15/12


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended._

Moi-Moi: Pokémon lied to me! Ash is eleven and I can prove it! Ash and Pikachu have been together for over a year, according to the Pikachu movie short at the beginning of the Power of One movie. But, then again, the movies aren't canon… oh well. Back to the drawing board. Sorry it took so long to update. Hehe. I'm back now though! Here's a new riddle to make up for it!

_With the feelings of others, I am in tune,_

_Be kind to me and I shall evolve soon._

_Then, I shall be half Steel,_

_And even better at telling how you feel._

_Who am I?_

~:~

"Are you _kidding_ me? Sinnoh Pokémon are so much cooler than Kanto Pokémon," I say and give Ash an incredulous look. He gave me a heated glare and I folded my arms in response. He just _had_ to say that Pikachu was cooler than Pachirisu. Of course, I didn't have a Pachirisu yet, but still. That wasn't cool.

"Hey, wait a minute. I just said Pikachu is better than Pachirisu. Kanto Pokémon are _way_ cooler," Ash says as his eyebrows nit in frustration. I let out a frustrated noise before rolling my eyes.

"_Says you. _You haven't even _seen_ all the Pokémon Sinnoh has to offer!" I yell with a triumphant tone.

"You're one to talk. You haven't even _been_ to Kanto!" he yells. Leave it to Ash to start an argument in the middle of the Pokémon Center. It seemed like only we were here now. I didn't pay Brock, Chimchar, Dawn, Pikachu, or Piplup any mind. I was not about to sit back idly and be yelled at by some ten-year-old (I may be ten too, but that doesn't count)!

"For _your _information, I've been to Kanto and Johto plenty of times with my mom. I've seen the Pokémon and I know what it's like. So, think before you say something," I say and poke his in the chest.

"Who's ready for some lunch?" I heard Brock ask. I blinked a few time before turning around. Everyone sat with nervous and sympathetic looks on their faces. Brock must have come back with some food for all of us. I looked around the cafeteria to see some other trainers watching us curiously. I turned back around to see Ash raising his hands in defense as he gave me a look. I played what I had said over in my mind.

I let out a small laugh when I pictured how I must have looked. Me and my temper… "Lunch sounds great Brock. I'm hungry," I say and take a seat. Chimchar comes over to me slowly, watching me warily.

"Geez. Are you crazy or somethin'?" Ash asks and sits down as well. I shoot him a cold glare that instantly quiets him. I pat Chimchar's head before giving her a smile. I would disregard Ash's lack of judgment this one time. I know he can't help but stick his foot in his mouth.

~:~

As soon as we had arrived in Jubilife City, I had informed my mom of my progress. Instantly, she had noticed that Chimchar had lost her barrette. I should have expected that. Mom is extremely perceptive. She had immediately ordered a new accessory and ordered it to be rush delivered to the Jubilife Pokémart. Dawn's mother had also sent her a package containing a new ensemble for her contests. While Dawn had gone off to change, I placed the new accessory onto Chimchar.

"I'm not even sure how Mom was able to get this on such short notice," I say and clasp the chocker around Chimchar's neck. Somehow, my mother was able to get a choker that was not only very beautiful, but nearly fire-proof. It was red with orange flames around it as well as a red flame clasp.

"It is a very thoughtful gift. Don't you think?" Brock asks, probably to make conversation.

"Yeah. It's the perfect size and everything," I say with a smile. I look over to Ash only to see him staring at me with a pensive face. He looks surprised that I caught him staring before shaking his head.

"I… I think I'm gonna go call someone," Ash says and leaves. Pikachu follows after him, looking confused and worried. I raise an eyebrow, shrugging him off.

"What's his problem?" I ask Brock, still staring after Ash's back.

"I think you just reminded him of someone he knows when you blew up on him today. Don't worry about it," Brock says with a smile. I give him a weird look too.

"If you say so Brock…" I say and begin so clean up the box that once held Chimchar's present. Everyone's been acting so weird lately.

"What do you think? Isn't it gorgeous? I'm gonna go call my mom and show her," Dawn says and twirls once in her new, pink dress. More pink? "Hey, where's Ash?"

"He left to go make a call," Brock says.

"Oh. To who?" Dawn asks. I have to admit. I was curious as to who I reminded Ash of.

"An old friend. Her name is Misty. She lives back in Kanto," Brock says. I nod at the new information. Next time I visit Kanto, I have to meet up with this "Misty". I need to know how she deals with Ash's Foot-In-Mouth Syndrome.

~:~

On a practice battle field outside, Dawn had asked Ash to help her get ready for her Contest. Dawn was at a major disadvantage with Piplup as Ash chose Pikachu. I couldn't explain it, but Ash seemed different. I noticed it after he had come back from his phone call. He seemed _really_ mad, as if he'd just gotten out of an argument. But, after a while, I saw a fort of fire enter his eyes. I could see that fire again as he battled Dawn.

Suddenly, before a winner could be declared, Aipom intervened and defeated Piplup. After watching Aipom move, I had to question whether she had ever been in a contest before. "It looks like Aipom likes Contests Ash," I say to him. He blinks at me before looking at his Pokémon, as if trying to connect the two.

"You should enter the Contest with her," Dawn suggests with Piplup in her arms.

"Enter the Contest?" Ash asked with a strange look. The thought seemed foreign to him. I looked at Aipom and Pikachu as they convinced their trainer to pursue a career in contests this one time. At least, that's what I guessed they were saying.

Just then, Brock reminded Ash to register for the contest. Dawn gasped and I could tell that she had forgotten to register as well. We all went over to the Contests Hall to allow them to register. I bit my lip as I stared at the registration counter. "Thinking of entering?" Brock questioned knowingly. I'll never understand how wise he is for someone barely older than me. It must be all those years as Gym Leader.

"Not this Contest. It's too late to prepare. But, I was thinking of registering for future Contests. I don't want to become a Top Coordinator. I just want to try it out once. I've seen my mom in these things dozens of times and I've seen her practice. Contests are a whole new thing. But, I can't help but feel that some Contest practice would help my battling style," I say to Brock. I could always count on this. I could always count on Brock to be an excellent listener and advisor. He was quickly filling the empty place of older brother.

"Then, you should go for it. Try it once and see how you improve. Having a background in Contests would give you something many beginning trainers don't have," Brock says encouragingly. "I'm sure you'll do great in Contests. It would give Dawn a new training partner and it would help keep Ash on his toes," he adds as an afterthought.

"Thanks Brock. That's just what I needed to hear. You're pretty wise for someone so young," I say. He nodded once in acknowledgement. I went up the counter and inserted my Pokédex like I had seen Ash and Dawn do. "I'd like to register for Sinnoh region contests as well please."

"Gabi?" Ash asks.

"_You _wanna enter Contests?" Dawn asks. They both give me weird looks and I smile at them.

"Did you forget Dawn? I promised to enter and beat you. Besides, if I don't enter, who's gonna keep you two on your toes?" I say with a smirk. They both nod and smile at me with encouraging words. Now, I have one more thing to train for.

~:~

We had all decided to turn in early in order to be well-rested for Dawn and Ash's Sinnoh debut. That plan was going great until I felt a shift that jostled me out of my light sleep. I rubbed my eyes to see Chimchar staring out at the balcony. I roll over to see Dawn, Piplup, and Buneary sitting on the balcony. Furrowing my brows, I got out of bed. In only a light yellow tee and white pajama pants with little Pichu faces on them, I gave Dawn a slightly annoyed look.

"You better have a good reason for being up this late," I mumble and rub my right eye. She turns to me with a surprised look before smiling.

"I just couldn't sleep. That's all. So, I came out to see the city," she says and turns back to the city lights. Seeing her Pokémon yawn, I shake my head.

"Buneary, Piplup, why don't you two go back inside and get some rest?" I suggest. Slowly, they shuffle inside and I take their spot next to Dawn. "If your Pokémon don't get enough sleep, I doubt they'll be much help during the contest. What's that?"

"This? It's the first ribbon my mom won from her contests," Dawn says. "It's my good luck charm."

"You see this?" I ask and display the charm on my necklace. She nods once and waits for me to continue. "It's the first badge my dad ever won. He sent it to me a week before I left for my journey."

"I've never seen that badge before," Dawn says.

"I know. It's not from Sinnoh. It's from the Nimbasa Gym in the Unova region. That's where my dad's from. Before I got the badge, I wasn't sure that I could handle going on a journey. I had so many doubts, but after I got the package, all that went away. It's nice to know that there's someone rooting for you," I say and look up at the stars. I could only see a few due to the city lights, but it was better than trying to see the stars over Goldenrod or Saffron.

"Yeah. You're right," Dawn says softly after some time.

"Dawn, I am rooting for you. I know we all are. You seem really passionate about Contests and it's that passion that will take you far," I say with a smile and look her in the eyes. "Now, _promise_ me you'll get some sleep," I begged.

She laughed a little before smiling brightly. "No need to worry," she smiles.

~:~

As the Contest was about to begin, Brock and I entered the stands and took a seat. Chimchar sat in my lap as we looked on. I felt excited and antsy to see Dawn in action. I really wished I had gone to wish her luck now. When a booming female voice broke out above the crowds chattering, I smiled brightly. After some time, Marian then introduced Zoey as the first Contestant. I watched the red-haired trainer call out her Misdreavus as it appeared with a smoke seal. I watched as Zoey made use of the smoke. Zoey seemed to know her way around the Contest scene. I hoped she wouldn't cause problems for Dawn.

Next was Jessilina. She seemed to be good at Contests and I bit my lip at the amount of talent out there. When her Carnavine bit down on her head, I blinked and gave Brock a questioning look. He shrugged and seemed as lost as I was. Ash went next. He called out Aipom, which used Swift to break the stars from the star Seal on her PokéBall. For only one day of training, they looked pretty good. I gave Brock an approving nod before looking on for the next contestant. Marian called out Dawn's name and I smiled again.

When the curtain rises, Dawn stood and attempted to walk out, but almost tripped. I watched her with a worried look before seeing her stand up straight and call out Piplup. Piplup used BubbleBeam to keep the bubbles from the Seal suspended in the air, before storing up energy for a Peck, and then using Peck to pop all the bubbles. I applauded her along with Brock and Chimchar. Now, the hard part's over.

Brock and I went backstage to congratulate Dawn and Ash. Dawn seemed extremely nervous as she sat with her hands in her laps. I give her a reassuring smile and she hesitantly returned a smile. "_And the judges have made their decision…"_

~:~

I was happy to see that Zoey was actually a friendly rival of Dawn's. She along with Ash and Dawn made it to the second round. After congratulating the two, I escaped with Chimchar to get a snack at the concession stands. We both returned with Pokémon shaped cookies and took our seats next to Brock. I gave him the cookie shaped like a Croagunk that I had gotten for him.

We watch as Ash and Zoey battle it out in the first match. I couldn't help but be troubled by Ash's battling. It looked more like a regular trainer's battle and not a Contest battle. I think Ash forgot that he supposed to be showing off his Pokémon. In the end, Ash lost to Zoey with the clock running out.

In the next round, it was Dawn who faced Zoey. Zoey stuck with Glameow while Dawn chose Buneary. Dawn started with an Ice Beam, but Glameow's Shadow Claw blocked it. I watched the match at the edge of my seat, my eyes shifting from the battle, to the clock, to their points, and back to the battle. Before I knew it, the timer ran out and Dawn had lost. I let out a sigh as Chimchar whined sadly from my lap.

We had stayed to watch Zoey's final match. She faced off Jessilina, an equally competent Coordinator. After watching Zoey's performance, I became inspired and many different appeals possibilities ran through my head.

After Zoey won the contests, we met her outside. Zoey and Dawn said their farewells and promised to see each other in the next contest. I smiled then. Now, I'm one step closer to my gym battle.

~:~

"Aerial Ace, Pepper!"

"Dodge it, Staravia!"

I was pushing my Pokémon. I knew it. According to Brock, it would only take a few hours to arrive in Oreburgh City. With my Gym battle so close, I could feel it sneaking up from behind me. I panicked and began a last minute training session. Yesterday, my Pokémon looked in top shape. But now, they looked unprepared.

I looked up at Pepper. He _looked_ exhausted. He was breathing hard, panting even. He had bruises and his wings looked limp as well. I let out a sigh. "Pepper, return," I say and fire off the red beam from Pepper's Pokéball that recaptured my Pokémon. Ash gave me a confused look before recalling Staravia. He had been more than willing to train with me with his new Staravia.

"What's up Gabi?" Ash asks. He walks over to me slowly while Brock and Dawn approach me as well.

"I think that's enough training. There is such a thing as overtraining. I'm just going to have to trust that my Pokémon are ready," I say to them.

"That's good. When we get to Oreburgh, you can let Nurse Joy look at them and have your gym battle soon after," Brock suggests. I nod at him with a smile.

"Then, we should get going," Ash says with a smile. He was more than anxious to have his battle. I felt a mix of anxiety and nervousness, but happiness as well. I'm not sure what to feel.

~:~

We arrived at the Oreburgh Gym sometime later, but were stopped by Paul and an older man. I spare Paul a short glance before looking at the older man. I had looked up the gym leader before arriving. This man was not the Rock-type specialist, Roark.

"The Gym Leader's not here," Paul says. He walks away from us then and I raise an eyebrow in question. I hear Ash wish good luck to Paul as he leaves, but Paul only smirks in response.

Despite Roark not being present at the gym, we still entered. The man who met us at the door gave Ash and I one badge case each to hold our badges in. The man then informed us that Roark was down in the Oreburgh Mines. I furrowed my brows.

"We should go find him," Ash suggested.

"You guys go ahead. I just remembered that I have something to do," I say. Ash gives me a curiously strange look as if he couldn't understand why I would walk away from my gym battle. "It won't take long. I'll meet you back here."

"Sure. We'll see you later," Brock says. I nod to them before walking the way Paul had gone. A small part of me was against what I was about to do but another part, the rational art, knew that it would be beneficial.

Chimchar gave me a curious eep from my arms. "I don't like it, but Paul is a strong Trainer. I just hope he'd be willing to give me some advice," I inform her.

It took us only several minutes to find Paul. He was by a small pond with his Chimchar, an Elekid, and an Azumarill. I watched as he ordered Azumarill to use Hydro Pump and Elekid to use Brick Break against Chimchar.

I felt Chimchar tense in my arms before looking at her in question. Her frightful eyes were focused on Paul's Chimchar and her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth. I furrowed my brows in question.

I watched Paul's Chimchar move quickly with slight fear in his eyes. I watched the Elekid give Chimchar a sort of cruel look while Azumarill simply looked focused. I'm not sure what it was, but Paul's training style rubbed me the wrong way.

"Can I _help _you?"

I looked over to Paul to see him frowning at me. He looked displeased that someone had the nerve to disturb him. I shrugged. "Don't mind me. I'm just here to observe. I doubt you'll say yes if I asked you to battle me," I say.

"I don't have time to waste on you," Paul sneers.

"Actually, you have all the time in the world. You can't do anything until Roark gets back to the Gym," I smile. Paul frowns at me once again. "If me observing bothers you so much, just let me battle you instead."

"I'll pass."

"Are you sure? No experience is bad experience," I hint. Paul gives me a deep frown before allowing the frown to morph into a smirk. I had him.

~:~

"Chimchar, use Scratch!" I yell. My Chimchar sped off on all fours towards Paul's Chimchar. Paul's Chimchar braced itself for whatever command Paul gave it.

"Dodge it and use Dig," Paul commands. I gasp as the Chimp Pokémon evaded the attack before burrowing deep into the ground. I had no idea Paul's Chimchar could use Dig.

"Chimchar!" I cried out as Paul's Chimchar sprang up from the ground just then. It tossed my Chimchar high into the with an uppercut to the jaw. "Snap out of it and use Ember!"

Chimchar shook herself out before firing Ember below her. The attack hit Paul's Chimchar before following him back into the hole. My Chimchar landed on the ground before looking about her for her opponent.

"Come up and use Flame Wheel!"

"Use your Flame Wheel too!"

Both my Chimchar and Paul's collided just then in the middle of the field. They looked to be at a stalemate, neither giving up. Until something peculiar happened. My Chimchar looked to be overpowering Paul's. I watched her flames get more intense before knocking Paul's Chimchar away.

I could see fatigue all over Paul's Chimchar. My Chimchar, however, looked fine. I blinked confusedly.

"I see. You're Chimchar's ability is Flash-Fire," Paul says with an understanding look. I blink at him before smiling brightly.

"That's good to know. Ember, Chimchar! And give it everything you've got!" I yell I watch as Chimchar inhales before firing her attack. Instead of the cinders I was expecting, I saw a full-on flame leave Chimchar's mouth. Chimchar had learned Flamethrower!

Paul and I watched as his Chimchar fell to its knees in an unconscious heap. I ran up to Chimchar to embrace her happily. I snuggled her closely, still feeling the heat on her fur. When I looked to Paul, he was glaring down at Chimchar's Pokéball and the Chimp Pokémon was no longer on the field.

"That was a good battle, Paul. Thanks to you, Chimchar learned a new move," I thank. Paul give me a frown before shrugging. He turned to leave and I smiled at his back. For once, he didn't scoff, insult, or sneer at me. I like this Paul better.

~:~

Moi-Moi: That was nice. It's been so long since I've updated!

Next Chapter: The Oreburgh Gym

Edited: 6/22/13


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon, or any of their titles therein. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended._

Moi-Moi: Okay…Okay… I know that _technically _Chimchar can't have the Ability Flash-Fire. But, you know what, I don't care. This is my fanfic where I can make anything I want happen. I could make so that Ash has been taking a youth serum for the past decade. Or that Ash made a wish on Jirachi that time would move slowly. So, there. :P

In other news, the Pokémon Riddle from last chapter has yet to be answered correctly. I have to say that Lucario is not the answer. It's a shame too. Lucario's my favorite Pokémon. :) P.S. Anyone wanna buy me a 3DS? I would love to play Pokémon X and Y when they come out. *pouts pleadingly*

~:~

I wasn't surprised. Paul had just won his Gym battle against Roark with a huge disadvantage against him. Although I disagreed with some of his methods of training, I did admire his strength and perseverance.

Thanks to Paul, I was able to learn a lot about Roark's battle style. _Technically_, Roark's Pokémon shouldn't be too fast. But, their abundant amounts of speed are surprising enough to throw off challengers. Not only that, but their power is off the charts. I would need to improve my speed, dodging, and defense some more if I wanted any chance of beating him.

I was worried. I hadn't realized that the Oreburgh Gym would be a three-on-three Gym. I only had two Pokémon. I doubted that there would be enough time to go out, catch, and train a new Pokémon. I could always call home. I was sure that my mom would happily lend me one of her own Pokémon, but I didn't want that. Call it immense pride, but I wanted to win my first Gym battle with Pokémon I had caught on my own.

With a heavy sigh, I slouched in my seat on the bench. I rested my elbows on my knees and my chin on my palms. I ignored the curious looks my friends were shooting me. I guess I don't have a choice…

"You've already battled Ash once. There's no harm in staying to watch his battle," I heard Dawn reason to Paul. I watched Paul's reaction curiously. "What's wrong?" Dawn asked and tilted her head in curiosity.

"Who are _you_?" Paul asked with a sneer. I could hear Chimchar stifle her snickers as I released a sigh. I shook my head as Brock attempted to pull Dawn away from Paul (who had yet to flinch or show an interest). With an amused smile, I shook my head at the scene.

~:~

I stared down at Ash with narrowed eyes. He stared back at me and clenched his hands into fists. Dawn was watching us with wide eyes. Piplup was in her arms and tucked closely to her while Brock stroked his chin thoughtfully. I nodded once to Ash.

"Rock…Paper…Scissors. Shoot!" we proclaimed at the same time. We shook one fist each between us before forming our choices with our fingers. With a triumphant smile, I pumped one fist in the air. I had chosen scissors while Ash slumped with his choice of paper.

"_Aw man_…," he moaned. I turned to Roark with a smug look. I was ready.

"I guess you won, Gabrielle. Let's have our battle," Roark says to me. I smile brightly before moving off to the challenger's box.

Once I stood opposite from Roark, I felt my stomach jump up into my throat and my heart stop beating. It started again, after a few seconds, but my stomach never went back to its place. My hands were shaking in anticipation of my first Gym battle. Dawn, Ash, Brock, and Pikachu were sitting on the sidelines. I also noticed Paul standing far off and watching with a calculating look. I'd give him something to watch…

"Are you ready?" Roark asked with a small smile.

"More than ready," I replied.

"Good. Onix, let's go!"

"You're up, Vaporeon!"

I could hear Ash and Dawn questions from the sidelines and smiled. I looked down at Vaporeon and she smiled up at me, happy to help me with my first Gym battle.

"Onix, use Slam!"

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!"

Vaporeon vanished from her spot before leaping onto a nearby rock. I grinned widely. "Hydro Pump!" I yelled. The aquatic Pokémon took two seconds to release a gushing stream of water from its mouth that hit Onix dead on. Onix shrunk back before turning and releasing a roar.

"Double Edge!"

"Rock Smash!"

Vaporeon's glowing tail collided with Onix's glowing body in a large explosion that caused both Pokémon to fall back. Once the smoke cleared, I was shocked to see Onix still standing. I looked to Vaporeon. She was panting.

Feeling the competitive spirit rise up within me, I commanded Vaporeon to use Surf. Roark met my attack with a Slam causing Vaporeon to fly into a boulder while Onix was flooded with a large wave. I could hear Chimchar calling out to Vaporeon, but I didn't look down at her. When the water cleared, I was relieved to see Vaporeon standing in a puddle of water while Onix was unconscious in a puddle of his own. "Awesome work, Vaporeon!" I called out.

"I'm impressed. But just because you have the advantage, doesn't mean you'll win. Geodude, you're up!" Roark said. I knew that.

Chimchar was going into extreme cheerleader mode at my side when Geodude started the round off with a Rollout attack. "Stop it in its tracks! Hydro Pump!"

The attack was able to slow Geodude down, but not fully stop its assault. Vaporeon was knocked back, but landed on its feet. She skid out on all fours before stopping and glaring at Geodude. She was exhausted. I needed to end this now.

"Rollout, once more!"

"Water Pulse!" I ordered. Once Vaporeon had fired off her attack, I ordered another, "Hydro Pump!" I was pleased to see the Water Pulse pick up speed with the Hydro Pump engulfing and powering it. The two moves hit as one, stopping Geodude cold as well as knocking it out. "Yes!" I couldn't stop myself from exclaiming.

I was riding on a happy high when I realized how close I was and how well I was doing. The feeling sunk however, when I remembered Roark's final Pokémon. Cranidos appeared from its Pokéball and began raking its foot against the ground. It's claw-like toes marking it spot.

"Cranidos, Head butt!"

"Rock Smash!"

I had been wrong. Cranidos was faster than thought it would be. I guess watching it in battle and actually facing it were two different things…

"Vaporeon is unable to battle! Cranidos is the winner!"

I recalled my Pokémon with a fond smile. "You were better than I ever hoped. Thank you, old friend. Chimchar, you're up," I said. Chimchar leaped into battle, her flame-like tail twitching madly. I had to get as far as I possibly could with Chimchar. Pepper's moves would have had little to no effect on Roark's Pokémon. So far, my strategy was to use my first two Pokémon to get as far as I could. And if it came to it, Pepper would be my finisher.

"Zen Head butt!

"Flamethrower!"

Chimchar's flames barely stopped Cranidos' assault. I felt my jaw drop. I could feel my victory slipping away. I bit my bottom lip nervously.

"Zen Head Butt!"

"Dig!" I commanded. I owed a lot to Paul. Quickly, I met his eyes across the field. He looked smug. I rolled my eyes with a scoff. Turning my eyes back to the match, Chimchar seemed to be digging madly to avoid Cranidos when she could.

"Let's end this. Use Flamethrower, Cranidos!" Roark yelled. His Pokémon reared back, a fire growing in the back of its throat.

I smirked. Chimchar glanced back at me with a questioning look. I nodded at her once. She remained where she was, taking the hit head on. I could hear my friend's cries of shock and concern. I couldn't keep the smirk from growing on my face. Once Cranidos' assault stopped Chimchar sprung out of her hole with a smile. "Show them some _real _fire power, Chimchar. Flamethrower!" I yelled.

I was amazed to see Chimchar's flames grow to almost three times its normal power. Cranidos was completely engulfed in the flames as well as pushed backwards into a large boulder. "Flame Wheel!"

"Head Smash!"

The Pokémon collided at once in a flash and loud explosion. I waited for the smoke and dust to clear before looking for Chimchar.

"Chimchar is unable to battle! Cranidos is the winner!"

With a sigh, I left my spot to reclaim my Pokémon. Once I had her in my arms, she roused quietly. "You were awesome. You did your best. That's all I could ask for," I say to her and lay her gently in my box.

I felt really warm then. I wasn't sure if it was my heated blood or Chimchar's left over heat on my skin. Whatever it was didn't matter. I tied my hair up in a high ponytail before gripping Pepper's Pokéball. I could feel my desire to win overtake me. "It's up to you now. I _know _you'll do it," I say and release him. Pepper gave a cry as he stretched his wings. He flew high above Cranidos, watching his opponent carefully.

"A flying type? I wonder how you plan to win with it." Roark said. I stared at Cranidos. Cranidos looked winded. Despite disadvantage, I was sure Pepper could fly circles around Cranidos. "Zen Head Butt!"

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" I yelled. It wasn't the best strategy. Hoping to tire Cranidos out to make it easier to finish it off. I would have to improvise.

It kept going like this for a while. I glared at Cranidos in anger. Without those legs, it would be nothing. I guess that why Paul aimed for its legs… That's it!

"Zen Head Butt! Don't let it get away!"

"Use Whirlwind to blow it back! Give it everything you've got!" I yelled. The winds whipped around the entire arena. I covered my eyes to avoid any stray pebbles and dirt from flying into my eyes. Pepper was giving it his all, blowing winds that could resemble those customary to small hurricanes. After peeking out, I saw that Cranidos had slowed down some. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough.

"Quick, grab Cranidos' legs!" I yelled. Pepper swooped in quickly and grabbed Cranidos mid-air. The Rock-type struggled and twisted in Pepper's grip.

"Break out of there!"

"Don't let go! Take it up!"

We all watched as Pepper flew out of the Gym, high above all of us. I could barely see him anymore, he was so high. Suddenly, Pepper's shape started to grow. I smiled as Pepper quickened his decent towards the Gym. "Drop it!" I yelled. Pepper slammed Cranidos into the ground harshly before swooping away, but I knew that wouldn't be enough. "Aerial Ace!"

Everything went quiet. The dust cloud that had risen above the Pokémon was thick in the air. I hoped and prayed to Arceus that it worked. It was my final gambit after all. Pepper rose above the cloud watching warily for any sign that Cranidos was still able to fight.

"Cranidos is unable to battle! Which means Gabriele, the challenger, is the victor!"

I've never screamed so loud in my life. Grabbing Chimchar and Pepper, I swung them around in my arms. Pepper was able to slip away long enough to begin doing loops in the air. I hugged Chimchar to my chest happily and scratched the tuft of fur atop her head. My Pokémon cheered and cawed with me, elated from our win.

"Congratulations, Gabrielle. You really beat me. Here you go. You earned this. It's the Coal Badge," Roark said to me. Ash, Dawn, and Brock smiled happily at me. I took the brown and silver badge between my fingers, with a bright smile. From the corner of my eye, I could see Paul leaving. Just before walking through the door, he turned and smirked at me. I nuzzled the back of Chimchar's head with a happy giggle. My stomach was back in its place now but it was doing some happy back flips as well.

~:~

That night, Ash, Brock, Dawn, and I were in our room at the Pokémon Center. I had long informed my mother of my victory at the Oreburgh Gym. Aside from her hints at taking my skill (however little it was) to a Contest next, she was thrilled for me.

Chimchar slumbered happily in my lap and I stroked her fur with her brush. I was still buzzing happily, my first victory still on my mind. I began humming a made up tune lightly.

"Hey, Gabi. I gotta ask. Where'd you get a Vaporeon?" Ash questioned from his bed. Pikachu was sitting up next to him with question in its eyes. Brock stopped scanning his map long enough to look up at me in question while Dawn stopped brushing her hair as well.

"I was waiting for someone to ask. Vaporeon's an old friend. I've known her since she was just an Eevee. We used to play together when I was younger- before I could train Pokémon. Since she wasn't really mine, she would come and go as she pleased. One day, she came back as a Vaporeon. I was so happy.

"It wasn't until I called my mom yesterday to let her know about my problem did she give me the help I needed."

_"Mom, I don't know what to do. The Oreburgh Gym is a three-on-three Gym battle. I only have Pepper and Chimchar and it's too late to go out and catch someone new," I spoke into the phone. My mom stared back at me with a pensive look on her face._

_Ash had gone off somewhere to train with his Pokémon. Dawn was exploring the shops in the city. And Brock was shopping for supplies. I had turned down the offer to join any off them in order to call home._

_"Well, that won't do. Can't you ask the Gym Leader to make an exception?" my mother said and bit her bottom lip. She began shaking her head, her dark brown hair swaying to and fro._

_"It wouldn't be right to ask him to change is rules because I'm unprepared," I slumped._

_"How's this? Couldn't you borrow one of your friend's Pokémon? Or I could lend you one of my own," Mom offered._

_"I can't do that. Using someone else's Pokémon shouldn't be an option. I'd be mooching off of someone else's hard work that they put in. Besides, someone else's Pokémon wouldn't be able to connect with me the way mine do," I saw._

_"Well…" my mom started. I could tell she had run out of ideas. "Oh! I forgot to mention! You have a visitor. She came by shortly before you told me you made it to Oreburgh."_

_I sighed exasperatedly. This was no time for visitors! I was having a crisis! I couldn't go out an catch a new Pokémon now. It would take too long. I didn't want to keep everyone behind just because I wasn't prepared. I watched my mom disappear from the screen for several seconds before reappearing. I smiled when I noticed the blue, fish-like Pokémon in her arms. "Vaporeon!" I exclaimed._

_"She came by to visit. She was sad when she found out that you weren't here. I think she was trying to make it back before you left for your journey. I think she wants to go with you now," Mom says. I couldn't believe it._

_"Is that true, Vaporeon? You want to come with me?" I asked. At Vaporeon's happy expression, my heart melted. Before I could say anything, Mom already had Vaporeon recalled into a Pokéball. Mom gave me a wink before sending Vaporeon over through the phone._

_"Good luck, honey."_

_I gripped Vaporeon's Pokéball with a smile. "Thanks Mom."_

"That's so cool. Maybe you can train with me while Piplup and I get ready for our next contest," Dawn suggests and stops brushing her hair. I smile and wink at her.

"Of course. I'll need to get ready for my contest debut in Floaroma Town," I say and place Chimchar on the extra pillow I had on my bed. She curled up with it, wrapping herself around the pillow.

"Wait. You're going to compete?" Dawn asked.

"Yep. I missed the last Contest, but I'll be center stage for this next one," I say with a teasing smile. I just had to work on some combinations and appeals. How hard could that be?

~:~

Moi-Moi: I've now taken up this story full-time. Sigh… I love Pokémon. Ii saw a post that asked, "If you could choose between living in the Pokémon world and world peace, who would your starter Pokémon be?" I think I would choose Torchic. :)

Next Chapter: Enter Pachirisu and Hunter J! And the stage is set for Floaroma Town!

Edited: 8/4/13


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